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The Sun
Friday May 17, 2019
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Les Whiteside
Katrina Whiteside
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Publisher
‘We want a positive outcome’ Continued from page 1. “Strike action is not what we want to see happen. We would rather be in our classrooms delivering quality education to our kids, but we really need the government to listen and prioritise the major issues like pay parity and support for learning needs,” he says. Aaron who has worked in the education sector for 15 years, has witnessed the ‘emerging crisis’ including the escalation in learning behaviours in students, an increasing workload across the sector and a reduction in applications for teaching positions. “Teachers need time and resources to teach. The students deserve the best we can give but with the way things are going it’s becoming harder and harder. “Pay parity is also a key issue. A teacher is a teacher whether it’s in primary or secondary and unfortunately primary has lost its pay parity. “We also want people to want to become teachers… it’s one of the most important jobs as we might just have the next Prime Minister sitting in one of our schools,” Aaron says. Primary and secondary teachers across New Zealand voted in secret ballots recently, overwhelmingly in favour of taking joint strike action. The announcement was made
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Years 6-8 teachers Kate Lewer and Andy Facer of Redwoodtown School, joined the Marlborough teachers protest action last November.
on Sunday by the NZEI Te Riu Roa and the Post Primary Teachers’ Association (PPTA). The government’s latest offer includes a $698 million pay improvement package for primary teachers and principals, and a $500 million package for secondary teachers. The strike action falls one day before the government delivers its Budget 2019 on
May 30. Unless there is a major shift by the government on its approach to the teacher collective contract bargaining, the strike action looks to be going ahead and families are advised to plan for alternative care for their children that day. The unions are encouraging the public to join them at public events, and an announcement as to where and
how in Marlborough they will be held, will be made soon. Earlier this week another announcement was made; Redwoodtown School teacher Ciara Belcher has taken on the role of NZEI Te Riu Roa Marlborough Chairperson. Former chairperson Dave Paterson stepped down from the position recently after retiring from teaching at Picton School.
Wedding fair already a sellout By Celeste Alexander For well over 20 years Blenheim has played host to an annual bridal expo which this year has been given a new name and a revamp. Now known as the ‘Marlborough Wedding Fair’, this event will be held at the Marlborough Convention Centre on June 23 from 11am – 3pm. Already the fair has attracted huge interest from businesses,
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with committee member Carol Taylor confirming there will be 46 stall sites. “This will be the biggest and best we’ve had! It really has been a sell-out success,” Carol says. There will be everything from wedding venue hire, photography and catering through to beauty, celebrants and even jewellery. “Anyone thinking of getting married is encouraged to come along and look around. There
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are so many options for different budgets,” Carol says. In the foyer area a beautiful display of wedding gowns will be on show, and for the first 100 people through the doors there will be a goodie bag given out. Entry into the Marlborough Wedding Fair is $5 per person which will be donated to the Marlborough Child Cancer Foundation. “This event is very much charity
based so the proceeds from the entry will benefit local families who are supported by the Child Cancer Foundation,” Carol says. Working together to organise the Marlborough Wedding Fair is a group of local volunteers including Carol Taylor, Trina Russell, Karen Bull, Hayley Lang and Steph Ellis. Proud sponsor for this year’s Marlborough Wedding Fair is the Sun Newspaper.
maka
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