Various education industry groups have spoken out about changes to the Teaching Council announced last week by the Minister of Education. Photo: RNZ / Richard Tindiller
Groups including Catholic school principals and kindergartens have united to oppose government changes to the teacher registration and disciplinary body the Teaching Council.
In an open letter to Minister of Education Erica Stanford published today, 10 organisations said she had gutted the council's independence.
They were speaking out following Stanford's announcement last week she would reorganise the council's governing board so it had a majority of ministerial appointees and move its responsibilities for professional standards and initial teacher education to the Ministry of Education.
The minister considered a similar change late last year, but chose not to proceed after receiving advice from the ministry.
However, the council recently announced its chief executive Lesley Hoskin was on "agreed leave" while the Public Service Commission investigated the council's management of procurement and conflicts of interest.
That prompted the government's change of heart.
"With multiple investigations underway into the Teaching Council, we're responding urgently by reconstituting the board so we can ensure good governance and better ensure the Council acts in the sector's best interests," Stanford said.
The government said the changes would bring the council's governance in line with similar bodies such as the Nursing Council.
But the open letter said the changes "represent a fundamental shift in professional autonomy and independence"
It said the signatories had already warned "that direct political control of professional programmes and standards by Ministers through the Ministry would be an over-reach and was tantamount to political interference".
"Under your changes, the Ministry will assume responsibility for all professional standard-setting functions, including standards for teacher education programmes, Teaching Standards, criteria for registration and certification, and setting the code of conduct. The Teaching Council will retain only registration, quality assurance, and discipline functions," the letter said.
It said the council had developed Treaty of Waitangi-centred professional standards for teachers and that was now under threat.
The letter's signatories were the NZEI Te Riu Roa, PPTA Te Wehengarua, NZ Principals' Federation, Te Akatea, Catholic Principals Association, Pasifika Principals Association, Aotearoa Educators Collective, Montessori Aotearoa NZ, Kindergartens Aotearoa and the Tertiary Educators Association of NZ.
Principals' Federation President Leanne Otene told RNZ teaching standards should be set by its professionals, not bureaucrats.
"The professional standards for our teachers should be set by teachers, just like medical standards are set by doctors."
Otene said the change removed the professional voice of more than 100,000 teachers and education leaders.
"Ulitmately that puts the quality of teaching and learning for our students at risk."
She said the proposed law changes gut the core functions of the Teaching Council.
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