News - Country:
New Zealand - Theme: Status of Teachers
New Zealand: Government takes up union concerns on workload (17 October 2011)
The New Zealand Post Primary Teachers' Association (PPTA) President, Robin Duff, has welcomed the Minister of Education’s positive response to teachers’ concerns about workload in relation to the country's national certificate of educational achievement (NCEA).
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Students preparing for NCEA test
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The NCEA is the main national qualification for secondary school students.
Duff expressed his satisfaction with the fact that “teachers will only need two days in both 2012 and 2013 to adapt their senior courses to the new curriculum and new achievement standards. Maths, science and technology teachers will be relieved, as their subjects have been targeted for extra assessment resources and they have been crying out for more support.”
He went on to add: “If teachers can spend more time on teaching their students and less on assessment and administration, then everyone wins.”
Duff added: “PPTA, the New Zealand Qualifications Authority (NZQA) and the Ministry of Education have worked together over the last year to find practical solutions to the increasing NCEA workload faced by secondary teachers.
"The work does not stop here. It is an on-going process to deliver what’s best for our members and students. We look forward to continued work with NZQA and the ministry.”
EI supports its affiliate in its struggle to offer its members decent work conditions so that they can concentrate on delivering quality education. It welcomes the constructive dialogue between national authorities and unions in New Zealand.
