Striking teachers

Press, 28 February 1986, Page 10

Striking teachers

Sir, — I wish to take issue with several points raised in your editorial of February 26. You state that traditional methods of discipline have been challenged or dropped. The only traditional method dropped at my school is corporal punishment which the Minister is on record as stating the Government will dispense with by legislation if necessary. Your remarks on the accountability of teachers are pertinent, and while you may not believe this to be a central issue in this dispute, I do not agree. It seems fatuous to complain about the quality of these unsatisfactory teachers when the salary and conditions offered cannot attract sufficient graduates to fill existing vacancies, let alone allow principals the luxury of rejecting applicants or dismissing existing staff, which you would deem unsuitable. If you offer peanuts

how can you complain that only monkeys are prepared to work for you. — Yours, etc.,

R. APPLEYARD. February 26, 1986.

Sir, — John Canham ("The Press,’’ February 26) praises the integrity and concern of teachers who have not joined in P.P.T.A. action (mainly for the excellent reason that they are not members). Most secondary teachers are P.P.T.A. members and feel that their concern for education is best shown by working with their association to obtain the best conditions for pupils and teachers that they can. That classes have teachers to teach them must always be a matter of first importance. During the 33 years that the N.Z.P.P.T.A. has combatted political expediency to better, or at least maintain, conditions in New Zealand schools, no teacher of concern, integrity, Christian beliefs or otherwise is recorded as refusing to accept any improvements won by association action. If the teachers John Canham refers to are as unselfish as he believes, history is about to be made. — Yours, etc., KAY ROBERTSON. February 26, 1986.

Sir, — It would seem that teachers have a grave moral responsibility to. their pupils, even more so than the local policeman, the doctors and nurses, and even their parents. Over the last four or five months many sectors of the work, force have taken some form of industrial action, and surely a high percentage of the workers who have been on strike must have school-age children. Why is it that a parent striking does not show a bad example to these children, but school teachers who take, the same action are immediately decried by the media and the Government as not accepting proper responsibility for the pupils they teach? Surely if these teachers are to carry this extra responsibility, above the burden of unco-opera-tive pupils, parents and a Government which forgets pre-elec-tion promises, they should be better compensated than they are at present. — Yours, etc.,

A. M. WITTY. February 26, 1986.