Aranui H.S. closed by strike

Press, 21 February 1986, Page 1

Aranui H.S. closed by strike

By ASHLEY CAMPBELL, education reporter One Christchurch school will be closed today because of a strike by teachers. Pupils at Aranui High School were sent home yesterday with a letter from the board of governors and the principal, Mr John Grigor, telling parents the school would be closed today. . “The Post-Primary Teachers’ Association

branch at Aranui High School has stated that they will not be available for normal teaching services on Friday, February 21,” the letter said. “The principal has decided that it will be impossible to run the usual programme ... Parents are advised not to send students to school.” The decision to strike was made at a lunch-time meeting, after an earlier meeting of 1100 Canterbury teachers had voted overwhelmingly to sup-

port a national one-day stoppage early next week. It is believed schools may be closed on Tuesday next week, but this has to be ratified by the national executive today. At the earlier meeting there was no mention of a regional one-day strike either yesterday or today. The P.P.T.A.’s regional chairwoman, Ms Theresa Shaughnessy, said teachers did not . feel a strong need for immediate action. Teachers knew there :

was an executive meeting today, she said, and were more worried about voting on national action. However, teachers at Aranui High School have joined about a third of their colleagues nationally in stopping work today. The branch chairman, Mr Mike Merrick, said teachers took action because they were very angry with the way the Government had handled the dispute. “People wanted to do

something immediately to show how they felt,” Mr Merrick said. The vote was not unanimous, but Mr Merrick said, the meeting was united. Teachers at Hagley High School also considered a one-day strike, but the vote was lost by: a narrow margin. Ms Shaughnessy . said the relative lack of spontaneous action by Christchurch teachers did not mean they were any less angry than their colleagues in other parts of

New Zealand. It was possibly a reflection of the lower number of shortages in the region. “I think feelings are probably as strong, but they don’t have the same pressure to take action.” It seemed the Government was not about to change its offer, but thati did not mean teachers would weaken, Ms Shaughnessy said. “I' think they are equally as determined to fight”