Teacher Union Hypocrisy

Children as Political Pawns

If you happen to live in a country where the education system is not controlled by its employees you should count your blessings.  Teacher unions in NZ effectively control the government run education system.  As one would expect in such a system, everything is about teachers, teachers, teachers.  Not that the union militants don't mention children.  They do.  Frequently.  But--and here is the despicable reality--the unionists use school pupils as pawns in their political struggles.  

By definition and hidebound ideology, everything pushed by the unions for teachers' terms and conditions of employment means that pupils will get a better deal.  At least, according to the self-interested union members.  Whatever anyone else tries to achieve in the state education system will, according to the unions, be damaging to pupils.  All this goes to demonstrate that self-interest matters more to teacher unions than the education of pupils.  According to the unions there is not one problem in government schools--not one--that would not be solved by the simple remedy of paying teachers more money and having more of them.

The government school system as been being roiled by teacher strikes this week, as union stooges react to a proposal--a proposal, mind you--that they claim will be damaging to the terms and conditions of teachers, er, pupils.

The Act Party put out a press release on the present actions of this notorious, self-interested cabal:

Teacher Unions’ Odd Position

Teachers will strike this week, forcing parents all over the country to make alternative arrangements.  Their concern?  That principals and boards of trustees will be given more flexibility in how they use their funding.  They believe this will lead to fewer teachers being employed, but why would that be?

How it Plays out in Partnership (Charter) Schools

ACT’s Partnership Schools have total flexibility in their funding.  They have generally used this flexibility to economise on material things and employ more teachers.  It is not clear why the teacher unions believe state schools would use flexibility to employ fewer teachers, unless…

Not All Teachers Are Created Equal

The unions’ job (not the teachers’) is to ensure all teachers get the same rigid pay scale regardless of performance.  Free Press visited a top New Zealand firm that uses sophisticated 360 degree feedback on staff behaviour and performance to set remuneration but this is not possible under collective agreements.

The Realpolitik of Teachers’ Unions

The unions’ real concern about flexibility is that it will affect their core business: making sure the best teacher in New Zealand is paid the same as the worst.  A more flexible funding model (like what’s used in Partnership Schools) could allow greater pay for good teachers, at the expense of those who aren’t producing solid results for their students.

Time to TERF

We have had it suggested by several former state school principals that while most teachers are wonderful, children are held back by those who aren’t (we can all remember one or two).  The police used to have a scheme called PERF (Police Employment Rehabilitation Fund) that would pay out those who could no longer perform for various reasons.  Perhaps it is time to consider a dignified exit for underperforming teachers who are just waiting to collect their Superannuation – TERF?

Ah, yes.  Time to "terf" them out.

Footnote:  we are told that all other government agencies operate on a bulk-funding basis.  The teacher unions believe that education is a special case.  It requires union control over the number of teachers employed, staffing ratios, and the like.  Successive governments for the last twenty years or so have simply rolled over.  No wonder the quality of teaching and educational achievements in the government school system are declining when measured against our OECD peers.