Angry teachers in rowdy protests at Parliament

Press, 21 February 1986, Page 1

Angry teachers in rowdy protests at Parliament

By PATRICIA HERBERT in Wellington Parliament Buildings were in a state of siege yesterday lunchtime as bitter secondary school teachers rallied to protest about their pay offer. About 500 members oi the Wellington and Hutt Valley Post-Primary Teachers’ Association turned up to vent their frustration, having that morning voted to strike today and to send one class home each day next week. v

Among the signs they carried was one saying: “Judas Marshall,” a reference 1 to the beleagured Minister of Education. About 20 people tried to force their way through to see Mr Marshall but only three managed to slip past the doors before they were barred against them. Of those three, one jostled with the heavy police cordon guarding the entrance and eventually had to be detained, but was later released without ar-

rest. At one stage the protest organiser, Mr Gordon Littlefair, seemed to become concerned he might lose control and stepped up quickly to warn that “an explosive situation” ,was developing and that it was not doing the teachers’ image any good. He asked the teachers to disperse and to make individual appointments with their local members of Parliament. After that the tension seemed to ease.

Three former Labour - activists announced they had resigned their membership of the party — one, Mr Rob Julian, of Newlands College, saying he felt it had betrayed all the principles he had worked for.

The president of the P.P.T.A., Mr Peter Allen, said schools in Auckland, Bay of Plenty, Hawke’s Bay, Waikato, Christchurch, and Southland were all out, and stirred the crowd with some mor-ale-stiffening talk.

“Clearly,” he said, “the message from the Cabinet today and yesterday is that they hope we will roll up our blankets and steal away in the night — but we will not go away.

“We will continue to make these sorts of approaches and noises until we . get our claim.” A delegation went in to meet Mr Marshall and returned to report that they sensed he still had sympathy for them and that they had made him fully aware that this might be only the beginning of "a very long campaign.”

Mr Marshall later went out to address the teachers but by that time, 2 p.m., all but a few had dispersed. The Opposition spokesman on education, Miss Ruth Richardson, attempted to speak, but most of her comments were drowned by chants of “Too late,” the Press Association reported.

She accused the Government of betraying the teachers’ trust and said it could not honour its promises. But her efforts were constantly yelled down.

Miss Richardson said later there was little noint in teachers trying to vent their anger at the Opposition. They should be venting their spleen at the Government, she said.

Her comments were interrupted by angry teachers who gathered round.