Early childhood teachers protest over pay inequities, plan next steps

Teachers who have the same experience, and the same qualifications should get paid the same, New Zealand Educational Institute (NZEI) member and Dunedin early childhood teacher Simone Lehr says.

She was out in the Octagon in Dunedin’s city centre yesterday morning along with nearly 100 other local teachers protesting current pay scales, which she said continued to disadvantage many New Zealand teachers.

"There’s a huge disparity in the early childhood sector, and actually in the whole teaching sector, as to how teachers are valued," she said. "Some teachers are paid the same and others are not."

Ms Lehr taught 2-5-year-olds and was required to have the same qualifications as primary teachers.

Yet there could be a pay difference of up to 49% for teachers with the same experience.

Early childhood teachers covered by two significant collective agreements took what the union described in a statement on Thursday night as "historic action" yesterday morning, by holding paid union meetings to discuss the next steps in ongoing negotiations.

Teachers covered by the Early Childhood Education Collective Agreement were offered a new minimum rate of $49,862 and a 1.5% increase to other printed rates. Barnardos teachers were offered no increase aside from a new minimum rate of $49,862, the statement said.

While the minimum pay was now in line with the rest of the sector, there was little room to move up in pay as teachers gained experience and consequently, on average, the early childhood teachers were paid 24% less than teachers in kindergarten and primary school with the same qualifications.

hamish.maclean@odt.co.nz