A proposed increase to the teachers’ registration and certification fee has been described as a "slap in the face" which could worsen the current teacher shortage.
It comes at one of the busiest times of the year for those in the education sector, and the Teaching Council has only given people three weeks to respond to the proposal.
Post-Primary Teachers' Association (PPTA) vice president Melanie Webber says the proposed changes will look at more than doubling the teacher registration fee.
Ms Webber says the PPTA is concerned it could further impact the current teacher shortage, especially affecting older teachers at the end of their career.
“If you ask them to be paying this, they’re just going to say no. Young teachers are not going to be able to afford it,” she told TVNZ1’s Breakfast this morning.
"We’re really worried we’re going to see people leaving the profession.”
The proposed change could see costs rise from $221 for a three-year period to $470. The fee increase reflects an increase in the Teachering Council’s functions, the council says.
“They’ve given us two options. They’ve said that you know, we can pay this amount, or we can pay that amount. It’s like saying to a toddler, ‘You can wear the red shoes or the blue shoes.’ It’s not actually a matter of choice in what we’re doing," Ms Webber says.
"If you compare it to, say, getting a driver’s licence, you’re paying for your registration with that. You’re not paying for all the additional services, which they’ve decided they’re going to present and maybe provide it elsewhere."
However, Teaching Council chief executive Lesley Hoskin says the fee increase is essential to uphold the quality of teaching.
"Teachers have an amazing opportunity to impact society and the kids that they’re working with into the next generation, so our role in there is to ensure teacher quality and leadership and safety of children and reputation of the profession," Ms Hoskin told Breakfast.
"How we do that is we’ve been set up as an independent statutory body, which means we’re not funded by the Government, we’re not part of Government.
"The importance for that for teachers is that as experts of education, they get to bring their voice, their opinion, their thinking to shape education."
CEO Lesley Hoskin joined Breakfast to discuss the rising cost. (Source: Other)
Ms Webber says the Teaching Council did not consult with the teachers before the proposal was put forward, with just three weeks to consult on the issue.
However, Ms Hoskin says the consultation period "is actually closer to four weeks … and critically, there is the option for an extension, so if people are needing more time, then on our website and in the consultation document, is the opportunity for an extension".
"Utimately, by the first of July, we have to have decided what that fee will be and have it in place in law or the council will run out of funds."
Ms Webber says strike action is unlikely due to current legislation, but paid union meetings will be held to discuss the increase.
“This came out on day one for most teachers. You’re all geared up for the year and you get this. It’s like a slap in the face," she says.
“There was no warning to teachers that this was going to happen and so for most people, the first they knew of it was when they arrived on day one and got this information that suddenly there was going to be this huge increase."
The Teaching Council currently currently represents around 100,000 teachers, bringing in a total of $47 million over a period of three years, or around $15.6 million per year.
Ms Hoskin defended the potential fee increase, adding that there was "no profit-making in this business."
"We are absolutely funded on the legislative requirements and those are really important and amazing opportunities for teachers," she says.
“Three years is hard to imagine that fee coming across, but we really are talking between $1.50 and $2 increase a week.
"I am acknowledging that it’s a big jump, but that’s because of the 10 years we haven’t been increasing fees.”
However, Ms Webber called the proposed fee increase "disrespectful" and says it demonstrates a lack of understanding of the profession.
"It didn’t make us feel terribly valued, it didn’t make us feel terribly respected, and for an organisation that say they’re trying to raise the status of the teaching profession, they’re trying to look after teachers, to do this on day one of the year is pretty disrespectful and demonstrates to me their lack of understanding of what’s actually going on in schools for teachers – something that they’re purporting to be able to represent us on.”
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