PPTA

President Robin Duff opened PPTA’s annual conference saying the global protest action against financial systems highlighted the issues in the funding of NZ’s public secondary education.

After a long period of negotiations, a pay settlement has been reached for the country’s area school teachers.

It involves teachers in more than 90 area schools which cater to students from Year 1 to 13.

The PPTA request for conducting a literature review of fast-track teacher education schemes last month has caused debate among educators.

The proposed Teach First NZ scheme fast-tracks top graduates into teaching jobs in low decile schools, after completing a six-week summer school programme.

Students with serious conduct problems need the same level of support as those with special needs, a new report says.

The government is on the wrong track cutting teacher staffing, when other countries are investing in education as a pathway out of the recession, PPTA president Kate Gainsford says.

Secondary schools are not getting the support they need when it comes to dealing with students with drug problems.