UNIFIED PAY SYSTEM SUCCESS

"The unified pay system is now a reality that everyone involved in education should celebrate," Education Minister Wyatt Creech said today.

"I am very pleased that teachers and principals have given the thumbs up to the new unified pay system. The new system removes the old differential that caused so much angst in the teaching workforce and now treats primary teachers and principals the same in terms of remuneration.

"The Government and the NZEI have chalked up a big achievement The unified pay system will change the way we think of teachers in the future.

"We now have a modern pay system that holds individual teachers more accountable for their performance. It is a major step forward for our education system."

Mr Creech said the contracts which have been ratified came out of many days of negotiation between the Ministry of Education and the NZEI.

"The settlement and ratification show what can be achieved when two parties talk through the issues.

"It is a credit to the NZEI and the Ministry of Education that the new contract could be agreed without any industrial action.

"Primary teachers will now be able to focus on teaching and helping young people to learn. They will be rewarded fairly for their ability to teach. This can only be good for education," Mr Creech concluded.