Early childhood teachers are angered by the Government’s shock announcement today that it will scrap pay parity rates for new teachers or those new to the sector.
From July 1, the Government will change the pay parity scheme rules so that early childhood education teachers who are newly certified, such as graduates, or those coming into the sector from elsewhere, won’t need to be paid at a level which recognises their qualifications, skills or experience, leaving it to their employers to decide their beginning pay rate instead.
“This is bad news for teachers. It fundamentally undermines the pay parity rates we’ve fought for decades to achieve, and it disconnects a teacher’s experience and qualifications from their pay rate,” says NZEI Te Riu Roa National Executive early childhood education representative Zane McCarthy.
“It is simply another attack on teachers' pay. First, the Government came for 35,000 early childhood teachers’ pay equity, and now it’s pay parity.”
Associate Education Minister David Seymour made the announcement at a meeting of ECE peak bodies and the Ministry of Education today. He decided to make the change to give “cost relief” to centre owners.
“Let’s be clear: this is being touted as a cost saving for employers when, in fact, this change is making up for a lack of Government funding by cutting new teachers’ pay. It's teachers who are paying the price.”
Zane says the news will have far-reaching implications in a sector that is already experiencing a chronic teacher shortage – a result of stressful working conditions, a lack of learning support provisions, and more.
“This will do nothing to attract people to the profession or retain them. Today’s announcement comes after the Government already cut pay parity for relieving teachers and those on fixed-term contracts.
“It shows us how it plans to solve funding in early childhood education – not by investing in our youngest learners, but by cutting teacher pay to make up for the lack of funding provided to centres in the first place.”