Yesterday, the government made an announcement that further weakens pay parity provisions for early childhood teachers outside of kindergarten.

From July, teachers who are newly certificated and teachers who are new to working in New Zealand ECE centres will not need to have their qualifications or experience considered before they are placed on the parity scale, for those employers who have opted into pay parity and receive higher funding.

This move follows a change last year which meant that relievers and fixed term teachers need only be paid the minimum wage, and another move to put business profits ahead of kaiako. It means businesses can get more public money without the accountability that the parity scheme was designed to ensure.

It does not affect those covered by the Kindergarten Teachers Collective Agreement at the moment, but it does appear to signal the approach of government towards early childhood teachers’ pay.

Here’s a link to an RNZ story ab out the changes: Seymour changing who decides how much ECE teachers can be paid | RNZ News

Pictured above: Wellington members of the Kindergarten Teachers' Association resort to public protest following an unsatisfactory round of award negotiations in 1985. Picture Credit: NZEI Te Riu Roa