95bFM Concerns for the future of the education sector, as teachers go on strike
March 16, 2023
Interview by Spike Keith, adapted by David Liwei Shi
Amidst teachers striking, Associate Dean, and head of initial teacher education, at the University of Auckland’s faculty of education and social work, Paul Heyward, warned that teaching is becoming an unattractive profession.
Concerns for the future of Aotearoa’s teaching sector are mounting, as up to 50,000 teachers and principals went on strike on Thursday, 16 March in Tāmaki Makaurau and around the motu.
Associate Dean, and head of initial teacher education, at the University of Auckland’s faculty of education and social work, Paul Heyward, told 95bFM’s The Wire that there needs to be more focus on teaching staff’s financial and emotional well-being.
“Teachers have raised issues like only having 10 sick days for one of the most illness prone sectors in the country, along with general funding issues, and high work demands.”
Unions representing teachers and principals are also calling for more support for students with different social and academic issues.
Heyward said the range of issues school staff are dealing with at the moment is also affecting children who have had significant disruptions to their education over the last three years.
Heyward warned that teaching is becoming an unattractive profession, and the sector is having difficulty recruiting and retaining staff.
Low wages, limited support, and the inability to meet basic living costs have led to a high turnover in the industry.
“People become exhausted with their work and they have a range of skills that are rewarded elsewhere and in the private sector.”
Heyward said it is difficult for people to stay in their roles, when they often aren’t remunerated adequately.
“There’s often a lot of negative press around teaching, and I don’t think that’s helpful either.”
Heyward hopes the government will take initiative in creating better conditions for teachers and principals.
“I think recognising the pay and conditions of teachers is something the government really needs to think about and I hope things move forward with negotiations.”
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