UNNECESSARY ATTACK ON STUDENT EDUCATION

"The PPTA leadership is being very provocative and irresponsible in using secondary school aged students as pawns in their political campaign," Education Minister Wyatt Creech said today.

?As teachers themselves, they should place a very high premium on success for the young people for whom they are responsible. To deny young people up to eleven days of secondary education flies in the face of what should be a teacher?s professional responsibility.

"I want the parents and students to know that this disruption to their education has nothing to do with the pay and conditions for their teachers. We are ready to address that. This is purely and simply a political action.

"Students and school classrooms should not be the battleground for a political fight whatever the subject.

"The PPTA leadership seems to have lost sight of why we have teachers. They are there to educate our young people not to drive home an ideological agenda at the expense of students' education.

"I can only deplore in the strongest terms the PPTA leadership's actions."
Mr Creech said the announcement of industrial action over the new Fully Funded Option shows the PPTA leadership never intended to discuss its claims on pay and conditions in the pay talks.

"The Ministry of Education wants to focus on pay and conditions and negotiate a new employment contract. Unfortunately their genuine attempts to negotiate a solution are being hijacked by another agenda.

"I will restate the Government's position yet again so teachers at the chalkface understand. The Government wants to settle teachers pay and conditions in the employment contract talks, but we will not negotiate Government policy. Strike action won't change that position. we are also interested in resolving the workload issue but it must be done through the appropriate channels. "

Mr Creech said the scaremongering over the new Fully Funded Option of resourcing schools had not been borne out in reality from the schools that already have control over their budgets. The change does not alter the policy beyond reviewing the formula by which the system works.

"The schools already in the scheme have been able to make big improvements to the education of their students and the working conditions of their teachers. All the Government has done is make the formula fair. Schools can still choose to opt for it.

"The PPTA is again trying to control Government education policy. If the PPTA leadership wants to run the country, they should stand for Parliament. In the unlikely event that they are elected and become a Government then controlling policy is their prerogative."

Mr Creech said the Ministry of Education will be helping school Boards of Trustees with the information they need to ensure teachers who take part in the industrial action get their pay docked.