Chris Abercrombie: PPTA President voices disapproval with changes to relief teaching standards

A union's labelling the Education Minister's changes for reliever teachers a knee-jerk reaction to the current shortage.

Erica Stanford's changing who can gain a Limited Authority to Teach - allowing about 200 teachers who no longer hold registration to work as relief teachers.

It means both experts who aren’t qualified teachers and previously registered teachers, can come into classrooms as relievers.

PPTA President Chris Abercrombie says the change is essentially just putting in warm bodies to fill the gaps.

"They're looking after kids, not teaching kids or educating kids, not helping them - they're just looking after them. These kids deserve more."

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Episode Transcript

Speaker 1 (00:00):
The Post Primary Teachers Association the PPTA says the government's
plan to plug the teacher shortage with unregistered relievers will
short change thousands of young students. On Friday, the government
announced a series of short term actions to utilize relief
teachers to ease the pressure on schools. The Teaching Council
will loosen eligibility criteria for limited authorities to teach or

(00:24):
lats to allow previously registered teachers to receive a LAT.
Chris Abercrombie is the PPTA president. He's with us this morning. Chris,
good morning, good morning, Thanks for being with me. What's
what's wrong with this?

Speaker 2 (00:39):
Well, it's just as a short term, knee jerk reaction
to this issue instead of thinking about how can we
solve this issue. We've been asking the government for governments
for many years to deal with the issue. It's knee
short term reaction.

Speaker 1 (00:53):
We will talk about that because there is a whole
section in the minister's letter about long term. But this
is short term and your they're being short changed. Can
you tell us exactly what So we have a relief teacher,
normal teacher goes down sick or on a training day
or whatever. Relief teacher comes in. Who is that relief teacher?
Not registered?

Speaker 2 (01:14):
Yeah, so they won't be a registered teacher. That won't
might not be a qualified teacher. They will literally potentially
just be a warm body in the room.

Speaker 1 (01:23):
Okay, is that that big of a deal if the teachers,
I mean, how often are the teachers sick?

Speaker 2 (01:28):
Well, we know it's a big issue at the moment.
We know the schools all around this country that are
usterrian students home every single day, and we know that
principles are talent and us. Continual use of relievers, continual
disruptions like this is having a real impact on schools
and kids enjoy them in a school.

Speaker 1 (01:44):
Yeah, but you've got to have someone in front of
them in class. Don't you so better at a warm
body than nobody?

Speaker 2 (01:50):
Well, absolutely, you've got to have somebody in it. But again,
this is a knee jerk reaction to an issue that
has existed for years and that we have been constantly
trying to wish the government to solve. One of the
other ways that you do that is pain relievers more.
That is one of the issues, and so we've we've
been constantly trying to get increases in the will ever pay.
We've got some of the last clip around when there's

(02:13):
one one way to deal with us.

Speaker 1 (02:15):
They're looking at practicing certificates, they're looking at the number
or the maximum number of half days that can be done.
There is longer term stuff there, but as a as
a as an immediate you know, if things are as
bad as you say they are, Chris, surely you would
be celebrating the fact that there would be more available
warm bodies to look after kids.

Speaker 2 (02:36):
All that's this you just nail looking after kids, not
teaching kids, not educating kids, not helping them. They're just
looking after them. And you know that's these kids deserve more.

Speaker 1 (02:48):
Yeah, but if it's on, I mean, how often are
teachers sick?

Speaker 2 (02:51):
Well, as I say, there's there's a huge issue with
teachers a case Siven and Roster's teachers home for students
home because of teacher illness PLD. We've got significant curriculum
and sister change coming up. These are all things impacting
on the ability of teachers to be in the classroom.

Speaker 1 (03:08):
Yeah, but I still understand if the teachers are going
home sec or with personal development or whatever it is,
and you're having to send students home because there's no teacher.
Wouldn't you prefer that there was someone there?

Speaker 2 (03:20):
Well, there's someone there. But the issue is that these
young people deserve a teacher in front of them, not
just a person. And that's that's our belief. We've always had.
That belief is that that's the best thing for our
young people as a qualified regis teacher in front of them.
And that's what we want, that's what our parents expect,
that's what our communities expect.

Speaker 1 (03:41):
All right, Chris, thank you very much for your time
this morning. Appreciate it. Chris Abercrombie, PPTA President.

Speaker 2 (03:46):
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