Pressures on education with teachers’ strikes and staff shortages & the latest Security Threat Environment report w/ National Party MP Carl Bates: 26 August, 2025

Last week, thousands of secondary teachers went on strike demanding a better pay agreement from the government. 

The Post-Primary Teachers’ Association rejected the government’s offer for a one percent pay rise, which they say is the lowest in generations.

Amidst staff shortages forcing some schools to take days off with not enough teachers, in addition to a variety of recent curriculum changes, union leaders have said the education sector is stretched-thin. 

As well, the latest Security Threat Environment report has shown that New Zealand is facing the ‘toughest’ national security environment of late, with issues like global conflicts, violent extremism, foreign interference and espionage at the forefront of concern