Christchurch teachers give lead in strike fervour

Press, 24 February 1978, Page 1

Christchurch teachers give lead in strike fervour

Christchurch secondary teachers showed hat they meant business yesterday when they ■rave almost unanimous support to their national association in its first strike. There was less solidarity in some centres.

It had been thought that jome teachers to whom direct action is repugnant might have gone to school, but inquiries by “The Press” yesterday showed that almost without exception they stayed awav. The only State seconddary schools in Christchurch where teachers other than principals and deputies arrived were Avonside Girls’ High School and the schools with boarding hotels, such as Christchurch Boys’ High School. The principal of Avonside (Mrs E. C. Barnett) said that there were “a few teachers who had come unofficially,” and were doing work which they normally would have done in their own time. It was the school’s jubilee in. a month, and some teachers had extra work to do Which they preferred to do yesterday than perhans at the week-end, she said. “They are thoroughly dedicated, and wish to spend their time profitably," said Mrs Barnett. The teachers could not be described as strikebreakers, although it was up to them to decide' . whether to claim for wages for the day. “The ones I have spoken to indicated that they were not here under any guise of being paid,” she said. Teachers engaged in supervising pupils in boarding hostels were ex-

empted from the strike by the Post Primary Teachers’ Association. Few schools reported cases of pupils arriving at school. About three pupils attended Burnside High School, one pupil went to Cashmere High School and was told to return home, and one pupil turned up at Papanui High School. . Ashburton teachers were one of the few Canterbury exceptions to this solidarity. About 32 pupils and about 24 staff members attended Ashburton College yesterday, the principal (Mr R. O. McDowell) said. Some of these staff were members of the P.P.T.A. The pupils were able to use sports and recreational facilities at the college. At Methven, three teachers and the principal (Mr F. N. Wilson) attended. Only one pupil arrived at Kaiapoi High School, and was kept occupied in the library. The principal (Mr T. E. French) said one teacher who had been at Kaiapoi only two days, and was not an association member, and one other, were present. School was running smoothly yesterday, according to the principal of Rangiora High School (Mr T. M. Penny). Twelve pupils turned up, and were supervised by three parttime staff members. Boarders at the hostel and two third form classes

attending an outdoor camp with seven teachers were exempt from the strike. At Nelson, live-in pupils at the two boarding colleges remained in class but the lessons were “informal.” Most teachers and punils did not attend. Further afield, the only State secondary school where all pupils turned up yesterday was Auckland Girls’ Grammar, and they were taught by half the normal number of staff. The principal (Miss G. L. Gardinerl said her staff was made up of teachers with a “conscience,” and non-union members. In Wellington it was estimated that 10 ner cent of teachers turned up. Some teachers, including six at Kapiti College. , said thev were working because strikes were against their professional ethics. Thev p’an to give a day’s pay to the P.P T.A. strike fu n d At Wellington College, eight teachers and 500 punils, almost half the school roll, were at school. However the principal (Mr S. W. H. Hill) decide'-’ that supervision was difficult and the students were sent home. At Wellington East Girl’’ College, 20 staff and 300 girls there spent part of the day in class and the rest in the gym, library, or swimming. The national president of the P.P.T.A. (Mr Peter Andrews) said he planned to take no immediate action against those teachers who had gone against the national protest.