Articles for category: Politics

PPTA

School attendance initiatives welcome – but more is needed

Chris Abercrombie, acting president of PPTA Te Wehengarua, says more school attendance officers are a welcome addition but schools need more pastoral and guidance staff to be the ambulance at the top of the cliff. “We desperately need more pastoral and guidance staff in our schools to help identify the students who are struggling, for ...

PPTA

Secondary teachers set date for first national strike

“After three years of constant disruption, secondary teachers would love nothing more than a settled 2023 for our students and ourselves,” says PPTA Te Wehengarua acting president Chris Abercrombie. “We have been in negotiations for a new collective agreement since May last year so there has been plenty of time for the Government to make ...

PPTA

Lifting school attendance requires whole-of-community effort

Commenting on the Term 4 school attendance results, released this week by the Ministry of Education, Kate Gainsford says the results are concerning but not unexpected after three years of upheaval. “School attendance rates were dropping before COVID but the pandemic has exacerbated the situation, with coordination between these groups being tested, young people leaving ...