Podcasts about ppta

Unions have voiced disappointment over the Education Minister's plan to remove school board Treaty requirements. Erica Stanford intends to scrap a clause under which boards must reflect local tikanga in the curriculum - and teach te reo Māori. The PPTA labelled it another step in the Government's apparent drive to take the country back 50 years NZ School Boards Association President, Meredith Kennett, says putting it in legislation ensures school policies consider the history of children and their whanau. "Allow us to connect with local iwi - and making sure that this school is fit for purpose for our children, because our children need to belong. And if they don't feel like they do, then they won't achieve." LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Okay, I've got a question for you - and this is a genuine question, it's not a rhetorical question. Do you agree with the teachers' unions that it's an outrage that Erica Stanford is taking the Treaty obligation out of the Education Act, or do you agree with Erica Stanford that it needs to come out? Now, I'm asking you this question because I honestly cannot understand why the teachers' unions are causing uproar over this, because it seems to me to be a clear case that this should come out. It hasn't helped lift Māori achievement in the five years it's been in the legislation. In fact, going by just one metric, which is the proportion of Māori students leaving school with no NCEA qualification at all, it's getting worse. It was 24 percent in 2021, it's now nearly 28 percent at last count. So if this thing isn't helping, then it shouldn't be there - because all it is then is just virtue signalling and distracting schools when they should be, as the minister said, laser-focused on educating kids. So this is where I ask my question - because this is where I get confused. If it doesn't have to be in there, then why are the unions picking this fight? Why are they fighting for yet another pet ideological project? Did they not learn from the allergic reaction that parents had to the news that the number one thing on the PPTA's agenda for the meeting with the minister was Palestine? That went down like a cup of cold sick. Is it not obvious to the unions that they are losing the patience of parents who've already had a guts-full of an education system that isn't educating their kids - and the teacher unions making excuses for it, and the teacher unions not wanting to have to do more work? So it's one of two things that's going on here for me, right? Either teacher unions really just cannot help themselves when it comes to yet another political distraction and a chance to give a National Party a bloody nose, or they know something that I don't - which is that there is enormous support out there for them fighting the good fight on the Treaty obligation for the boards of trustees. Is that happening? Am I missing something here? Is there massive support out there for teachers who are fighting this? Or are they burning parents' goodwill because they can't help themselves yet again fighting with a National-led Government? LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Last Thursday was the largest protest New Zealand has had for decades, a combined strike across multiple public sector groups including PSA members and PPTA members. It certainly sent a message, but that message depends on who you ask. While many sympathise with the issues the public sector is facing, many have also dubbed it 'the start of a five day weekend' for teachers. LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

So 100,000 workers went on strike. Now what? The cost to settle these claims will run into the billions. Easily. 1979 was the last time we a strike this big. A general strike. 300-thousand people. It was Muldoon days. It was over a dispute with driver unions and transport. It went to arbitration and the unions won. This time, senior doctors refused binding arbitration. Secondary teachers have a few more strikes before Christmas. And the primary teachers have more dates set down for pay talks next month. You'd have to say, based purely on vibes and a little bit on polling, that the workers win the week. They 've won the PR battle. We're already sick of hearing how much senior doctors get paid. Parents will be sick of their kids missing school. Anymore delayed hip operations and there'll be hell to pay. If the unions expect strikes to kick off again next year, they might find themselves falling out of favour with workers in the private sector. The median wage is $70k. Private sector workers haven't been getting the same increases as the public ones. The offer these teachers are rejecting would have almost 80% of them on $100k or more. Base salary. Arguing for more and dragging our industrial action for to long and you risk looking, well, political. Or greedy. Given the state of the books and the enormous deficit blowout this current lot inherited. So the unions have won the battle. Can they win the war? See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Unions say the mega-strikes today - are not just about them. Tens of thousands of workers across health and education are stopping work in their fight for better pay and conditions. More than 100 members gathered in Auckland last night - discussing the importance of strong public education and health systems. PPTA President Chris Abercrombie says that the public service commission hasn't yet made contact, but the teachers have made it clear, "we're more than happy to talk about anything they want to talk about." LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

PPTA President Chris Abercrombie spoke to Ingrid Hipkiss about an open letter issued by the government ahead of mega strike action.

More strike action from teachers this week, with a full national strike planned for Thursday. Minister for Public Service Judith Collins says that the number one item on the agenda for the PPTA at a recent meeting with the Government was Palestine, not pay or education. LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

An estimated 100,000 workers are set to go on strike this coming Thursday, despite warnings from the Public Service Minister. Judith Collins has penned a letter to New Zealanders claiming the planned industrial action is 'unfair' and 'unwarranted'. PPTA president Chris Abercrombie has responded to Judith Collins's critique of unions being political by saying - of course they are. "Well, we're dealing with the Government, so it has to be political. The Government makes the decisions about NCEA, they make the decisions about curriculum, they make decisions about AI marking - they make all these decisions. So it has to be political." LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

The Education Minister has been accused of not being across a crucial aspect of her portfolio - or deliberately misinforming people. Post Primary Teacher's Association President, Chris Abercrombie spoke to Ingrid Hipkiss.

The Public Service Commissioner is questioning whether the PPTA is committed to reaching a deal - saying it's choosing disruption over dialogue. Sir Brian Roche spoke to Ingrid Hipkiss.

On today's show, Prime Minister Christopher Luxon spoke to Ingrid Hipkiss for his weekly interview, the Public Service Commissioner is questioning whether the PPTA is committed to reaching a deal, former Labour leader Andrew Little has been voted Wellington's new mayor by a landslide, and Jacquie Grant looks set to be voted mayor of Westland at the age of 81.

Teachers are set to begin more rolling strike action from Tuesday after rejecting the government's latest offer. PPTA's Chris Abercrombie spoke to Ingrid Hipkiss.

More students now think it's important to attend school everyday. A new Education Review Office report shows students are taking school more seriously than three years ago, with six in ten attending regularly - back to pre-Covid levels. It also found that 80 percent think education is important for their futures, and 75 percent think attending every day is important. PPTA president Chris Abercrombie told Ryan Bridge having the government focused on attendance has helped, however the threat of punishments isn't working for everyone. LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

There's growing push-back on the idea that children should be censored at school, as extremism spreads. PPTA members are seeing misogyny spread through the classroom, and they're putting it down to a 'toxic online culture of masculinity'. The union wants to make addressing online extremism an official policy, and is calling for Government action. Free Speech Union CEO Jillaine Heather says it's hard to stop children picking up new ideas different to their parents' views. "What you want to do, if you disagree with those ideas, is engage with them. Engage in counter-speech, dismantle the ideas, test them, get them to bring their receipts. You can't censor those ideas, surely." LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Yesterday, PPTA members —secondary school teachers— voted to make addressing online extremism an official policy, and are now pushing for Government action. Teachers say they are seeing more misogyny from young boys, as well as xenophobia and anti-Māori rhetoric – and I believe them. Sit down with your teenager and ask them about Andrew Tate, Trump, trad wives —which were some of the complaints— and they're all over it. And yes, it is driven by social media, algorithms, and their peers. So, I do understand their concerns. But it's not for the Government to fix. I'll get to the teachers in a minute, but this is primarily an issue for parents. It's parents who are responsible for setting the tone when it comes to their children's beliefs and values. And as they grow and almost inevitably push back against their parents and their ideas while they develop their own, it's also on the parents to listen and, without judgement, encourage open discussion. As parents we need to get into the trenches with our teenagers and have those difficult conversations so we understand where they're coming from and why, for example, a young man might have been drawn into a “toxic online culture of masculinity”. Only then, perhaps, are we can be in a position to do something about it. I'm sure the teachers are right when they say parents aren't fully aware of the content their children are being exposed to. I chat to my teenagers about contentious people and issues on social media and in the news. I'm curious to know if they're aware of it. Sometimes I have to act cool and hide my surprise when I discover that not only are they across it, but they've researched it, thought about it and will already have formed an opinion. Parents are so far behind sometimes. Obviously if a teacher hears something harmful or disgusting —if they feel someone has been radicalised to the point where the person or others aren't safe— then yes, it needs to be challenged. We don't want to to be normalised - although many teenagers will tell you it already is. But, just as many schools put phone bans in place before it was legislated, schools can have guidelines for acceptable behaviour in a classroom without government interference. But when it comes to political ideology, Trump and trad wives, or cancelling people, we need to encourage debate and teach young people to disagree agreeably. Teachers are at the forefront of this and may well bear the brunt of it. It's easy to say that teachers should use these moments as a constructive exercise in critical thinking – and I'm sure many do. But others will be terrified of being accused by parents of indoctrinating their children. There is undoubtedly room for greater media literacy when it comes to understanding misinformation, disinformation, xenophobia and misogyny – but teachers have got other things on their plates. So, parents – you're up. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

When the Post-Primary Teachers Association marked the roll at its annual conference in Christchurch today there was a notable absentee - Education Minister Erica Stanford. The excuse she gave for pulling out of a speech this afternoon didn't go down well in a room awash with talk of industrial action, scrapping NCEA, subject changes and teacher shortages. Keiller MacDuff reports.

There's a belief there's more that needs to be done to smooth immigration processes in New Zealand. The Government's revealed two new pathways for skilled migrants to secure Kiwi residency. One is for skilled work experience and another for trades and technicians. Immigration Minister Erica Stanford told Mike Hosking there's a lot more announcements to come, but they're often held up by IT changes. She says they're working on a start-up visa while more needs to be done in the RSE space, and there's a whole list of other things. Stanford's also standing by her decision to miss the PPTA's annual conference in Christchurch. The Education Minister had been scheduled to speak to the secondary teachers union yesterday for months but abruptly cancelled due to an 'unavoidable clash.' She told Hosking it was because the Prime Minister's office gave her a date for yesterday's skilled workers' announcement in Auckland. She says authorities also advised her it wasn't the best time to give a speech due to the ongoing pay bargaining. Stanford adds she is frequently meeting with the PPTA, and this is the first conference she's had to miss. LISTEN ABOVE See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Back when I was a kid, you knew the school holidays were coming up when the Seafarers Union went on strike. Sure as God made little apples, a week before the school holidays, the unions would be all out, brothers and sisters, and then there'd be all night negotiations between the cloth caps and the capitalist overlords, while parents waited anxiously to see if the annual road trip —south in our case— would take place to go down and see the Christchurch rallies. Generally, at the last minute they would, so it was a mad dash to Wellington, over the Cook Strait to Christchurch for the school holidays. Every single time. Union representatives were household names in New Zealand – Ken Douglas, Sonja Davies, Blue Kennedy, everybody knew them. The strength of unions abated over the years after the reforms of the Fourth Labour Government. But since the demise of the last Labour Government and the arrival of this centre-right Government, unions have certainly been flexing their muscles. Primary school teachers have voted to go on strike on October 23rd. “Kerre, isn't that the Thursday before Labour Weekend?” That's correct, it is. So what's that going to do? A glorious long weekend, and two days off school for the kids. Secondary teachers are on their rolling strike this week, again, right before the school holidays, massively disrupting senior classes and school attendance. Nurses walked off the job recently and senior doctors go on strike next week. They are perfectly entitled to do so, but it's a delicate balancing act holding on to public support while pressuring the government to give in to their demands for pay and conditions. Political commentator Bryce Edwards made a very good point in an article yesterday, which just reinforces what we know. Unions take a softly, softly approach with Labour governments generally, because they don't want to damage Labour-led governments by striking. Unions affiliated to Labour contribute their members' dues to the Labour Party, and unions have voting rights on Labour's leadership under the current constitution that the Labour Party has. So, in the main, they don't want to embarrass a Labour-led government. That is not to say they don't strike. Teachers held rolling strikes throughout 2023 because the Labour Government was stonewalling on negotiations. And in part, teachers say it's because the last Labour Government mucked them around for so long that they're striking again. They can only settle pay and conditions in the three-year blocks. And by the time Labour settled with the PPTA last round, it was time to begin negotiations again. But they are much more likely to strike than to negotiate. That's what the head of the Public Service Commission, Sir Brian Roche said – that we offered them a good deal, they didn't bother negotiating, just said, "Right, we're striking”. The disruption to kids and their parents is far, far more than just the one day they strike, though. By choosing to strike right before the school holidays, kids don't see the point in going to school for the last week. They're lumped together in mixed classes. There's no real learning taking place. Teacher-only days in many schools on the Friday. What the hell is the point? It's a real struggle for people I know who have teenagers to get them to school because they'd go if they were learning, they'd go if it mattered, they'd go if they felt they were going to get something out of it. When all they're doing is being lumped together in one mess class with a couple of duty teachers to make sure people don't go missing or harm one another, that's basically the end of it. It's basically babysitting for a couple of days, and the kids know that, so they think, why bother? At what point do you lose sympathy for striking public servants? At what point as a teacher or a nurse do you lose patience with your union? I think most of us have sympathy with teachers, and nurses and doctors, and police officers, understanding just how important their jobs are within society. But are they more important than what you do? And at what point do you decide that actually, you'd rather be paid on performance, not how many years you've hung in there at the chalkboard? At what point do you think, I would rather be teaching my classes, not striking to give my peers pay and conditions that some of them simply do not deserve? When you know that you're a better, more competent, more hard-working, more innovative, more empathetic teacher than the one next door, does it not rankle just a tiny bit that they're getting either the same as you or more, because of simply being there longer than you? At what point do you believe in yourself? At what point do you negotiate your own pay and conditions the way the rest of us do, because you believe in your abilities and what you bring to the workforce? And if they're not good enough, you go. At what point do you back yourself? And say, you know what, I do a really, really, really good job and I want to be paid more than the lazy ass next to me. I wonder why teachers in particular are so insecure in their own bargaining powers? How many teachers would rather not be in the union, negotiate their own contracts? If you don't feel that you are fairly paid in your job or your conditions aren't ideal, have you used the union to negotiate for you or do you do it yourself? Have you found the unions useful? I look at teachers and I think, you know, we all know there are some that are so much better than others, who are so much more hard-working and innovative. Why don't they get more? Still, it's up to them. If they want to have collective bargaining and collective conditions, that's their choice. But for how many is there a little seed of doubt settling in thinking, really? The way New Zealand is at the moment, the way the kids' schooling has been so severely disrupted over the last few years, our conditions aren't that bad when you look around. When you look around at what other people are earning and what other people are doing. At what point do you think the union's not for you? Back in the olden days, the unions were all powerful, dominant, a really strong collective force, and they wielded enormous power on the economy and on governments, but they struck themselves and bullied themselves into irrelevance. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

The Public Service Commissioner says teachers are putting themselves ahead of students as they again vote to strike. Brian Roche says the pay offer to teachers -which includes a 4.7 percent pay rise over 12 months - was a very good one. PPTA president Chris Abercrombie told Heather du-Plessis Allan that teachers have many sticking points with the latest offer. But he won't say exactly how many teachers supported the strike. He says that's the union's policy - but there was overwhelming support from members to take industrial action. LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

On the Heather du Plessis-Allan Drive Full Show Podcast for Friday, 12 September 2025, the big protest across the Harbour Bridge in Auckland has been called off because of high winds. Relieving Waitemata District Commander Stefan Sagar tells Heather why police were going to let the protest happen, even though NZTA said no. Have secondary teachers lost their room with a whole week of strike action next week? PPTA president Chris Abercrombie defends the strike. There's angst in Wellington because people might soon start exploring for gold near the ecosanctuary of Zealandia. Travis Mackay is the only person who has been granted permission so far - he says it's all a storm in a teacup. Plus, the Sports Huddle disagrees on whether the All Blacks can make it 2/2 against South Africa and who is to blame for the netball debacle this week? Get the Heather du Plessis-Allan Drive Full Show Podcast every weekday evening on iHeartRadio, or wherever you get your podcasts.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

A teachers union says a high school curriculum overhaul lacks detail, despite its far-reaching implications. Year 11 to 13 students will soon be able to take subjects like politics, philosophy, Pacific Studies, Music Technology, and journalism. PPTA president Chris Abercrombie spoke to Corin Dann.

Recent pay offers to teachers are seen by the Public Service Commissioner as entirely reasonable. Primary teachers decided to reject its latest offer, while PPTA members are voting on the revised one. It includes increasing the number of days secondary teachers can be called back to work outside of term time. Commissioner Sir Brian Roche told Mike Hosking they have the ability to call them back for 10 more days a year, which is what's being asked. He says they're getting paid for this and just want teachers to be available for career development when students aren't at school. LISTEN ABOVE See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

The secondary school teachers union is confident its members will take its advice and reject the Government's latest agreement offer. It almost doubles the pay increase included in their last offer, but the union says it's unevenly spread across the teaching workforce and sits below inflation. PPTA President Chris Abercrombie says teachers can vote any way they want, but the National Executive's recommending sending the offer back. "The conversations I have this year with teachers and continue to have is that this doesn't meet what they need - what they see happening every single day in schools." LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

New comparisons show teacher salaries have plummeted relative to the minimum wage. PPTA members are voting on a new Government pay offer, while primary teachers have decided to reject their latest offer. Canterbury University maths lecturer Leighton Watson's done a comparison of teachers' pay with the minimum wage. He told Ryan Bridge a beginning teacher was paid $33 thousand in 1999, and now they get $64 thousand. Watson says it seems like a great increase, but if they got paid the same now, relative to the minimum wage, it would be $100 thousand. LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

On the Early Edition with Ryan Bridge Full Show Podcast Tuesday 9th of September 2025 Tom Phillips has been shot dead and his three children have been found safe, Private investigator Chris Budge tells Ryan what happens from here. New data shows rents are down 3% nationwide to the lowest point since 2023. The PPTA is telling members to vote down the government's new pay offer, Leighton Watson Senior Lecturer of maths and statistics at Canterbury University, shares his thoughts. Plus, Australia Correspondent Donna Demaio has the details of Mushroom Cook Erin Patterson's sentencing. Get the Early Edition Full Show Podcast every weekday on iHeartRadio, or wherever you get your podcasts. LISTEN ABOVE See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Optimism in the education sector as the number of people studying to be a teacher rises. There's been about 3,500 new domestic enrolments to initial teacher training this year – up 30% on the same time last year. Primary education's grown by 31%, while enrolments in secondary are up 28%, and 24% for ECE. PPTA President Chris Abercrombie told Andrew Dickens that doesn't reflect the need, in terms of shortages. He says in secondary education, they are often short of subject specialists. LISTEN ABOVE See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

In this episode of The Association Insights Podcast, host Meghan Henning sits down with Marilena Vrana, Vice President of Public Affairs and EU Operations at the Plasma Protein Therapeutics Association (PPTA), to explore what it takes to lead a global association strategy with unity, speed, and impact.From Brussels to Washington, Marilena shares how her team navigates cultural, regulatory, and political complexity while keeping member needs and patient access front and center. With decades of experience in European health policy and a deep commitment to collaboration, she offers powerful lessons in stakeholder engagement, cross-border communication, and values-based leadership.

There appears to be confusion over the rules governing when schools are considered open. PPTA President Chris Abercrombie spoke to Corin Dann.

Tonight, on The Panel, Wallace Chapman is joined by panellists Ali Jones and Simon Pound. First up, thousands of secondary school teachers walked off the job today in a dispute over pay. The Panel talks to Paul Stevens, a teacher at Auckland's Rangitoto College and a PPTA representative. Then they hear from independant Cameron Bagrie about the Reserve Banks decision to whack 25 points off the OCR - what does it mean for mortgage holders looking to refix?

Secondary teachers aren't backing down from their fight for better pay. Thousands of teachers walked off the job today and picketed across the country. They say a proposed one percent pay rise is actually a cut in real terms - and concerns on staffing, professional development and support aren't addressed. PPTA President Chris Abercrombie says he hopes that'll be the end of action, and the Government will come to the table. He says Minister Erica Stanford's signalled interest in improvement. "Erica's come out and said she wants a world-class education system, and we want the same. So there's definitely common ground there, but it's just about how we get to that space." LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Thousands of secondary school teachers are striking on Wednesday, over stalled collective agreement negotiations. The Post Primary Teachers' Association says the government's offer of a 1 percent pay rise every year for three years is the lowest in a generation and the PPTA's Chris Ambercrombie joins us LIVE to talk about the day, the strike and the governments offer.ACT leader David Seymour and Green Party Co-Leader Chlöe Swarbrick on Herald NOW's political panel talking teacher strikesHannah Tamaki got a roasting on The Bradbury Group last night as she went into an interview completely ill prepared for the most obvious of questions and has spent today complaining about the "attack" and the "unacceptable journalism"=================================Come support the work we're doing by becoming a Patron of ⁠⁠#BHN⁠⁠ www.patreon.com/BigHairyNews⁠=================================Merch available at www.BHNShop.nz Like us on Facebookwww.facebook.com/BigHairyNews Follow us on Twitter.@patbrittenden @Chewie_NZFollow us on BlueskyPat @patbrittenden.bsky.socialChewie @chewienz.bsky.socialEmily @iamprettyawesome.bsky.socialMagenta @xkaosmagex.bsky.social

The secondary teachers are out again. They're appalled and insulted by the Government's latest pay offer. For the record, the Governments offered a 1% pay rise every year for three years in collective agreement negotiations. PPTA President Chris Abercrombie says the offer is the lowest increase in a generation and 18-19,000 teachers will be out protesting today. Chris Abercrombie said the Government's offer was appalling, and argued that it failed to help efforts to recruit and retain teachers within the workforce. The Government's also failing, he says, to address other PPTA claims – more pastoral care staffing, professional development for curriculum and assessment, more support for curriculum leaders who will be working on upcoming NCEA changes. If no progress is made, we have been warned, the PPTA says they will roster students home and not teach certain year levels on specific days from September 15th. If this all sounds familiar, it is. Here's a press release from Jan Tinetti in 2023, basically two years ago, when she was Minister for Education. The Government has agreed to support the independent arbitration panel's recommendation to increase secondary teachers' base salaries by 14.5% by December 2024. The increase will see beginner teachers receive an annual increase of almost $10,000 in addition to their $7,210 lump sum payment. The offer provides an increase of 36% for teachers at the top of the pay scale. She acknowledges the disruption to students, young people, and their parents who were kept out of the classroom. The panel's recommendation adds an extra cost of approximately $680 million to the $3.76 billion already set aside in the budget to settle teachers' and principals' agreements. That money includes an increase to other education collective agreements which will flow on from the decision. So where are we at? Surely the PPTA doesn't expect 14% increases every bloody year. I mean, that's farcical. And if the strike and the promise of more strikes and rostering students home and not teaching certain year levels sounds familiar it's because in 2023, that's what happened from March, all through the school yea —never the holidays— there were strikes. Year levels were rostered home. There were national strikes. As the teacher said, we haven't received enough from past governments and this Labour government, so it went to independent arbitration and the panel recommended that the base salaries be increased by 14.5%. Which came in in December 2024. Eight months later, they're striking again? Does this happen every year? Every year we get this. Surely if you're striking and the deal is set that you get pay increases and they come in in December 2024, wouldn't you be factoring in that this will last you for a bit? That that this will do you for the next couple of years? Or parents and teachers going to be seeing kids locked out every year over months and months and months. This kind of disruption is completely, I would have thought, utterly unacceptable. If there hadn't been a pay settlement in 2023, which came into effect in December 24, fill your boots. I'd be out there with a bloody placard with you. But how can you justify going out again and closing the classrooms again after the enormous disruption of Covid? And then the enormous disruption of 2023 with national strikes and rolling strikes. How can it be in the best interests of young people and the profession to disrupt the schools in this way? You know, for $3.76 billion for teachers' and principals' salary and package agreements, maybe we could spend that a different way. You know, with AI here now, the PPTA has to be very, very careful that they don't strike themselves out of existence. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Teachers will walk off the job next Wednesday following a one percent payrise offer from the government, which they say is the lowest in a generation. Teacher and PPTA member Kevin Greig spoke to Ingrid Hipkiss.

On the Heather du Plessis-Allan Drive Full Show Podcast for Wednesday, 13 August 2025, Jacinda Ardern, Chris Hipkins and other former Labour Ministers have declined to give evidence at a public Covid inquiry. National's Chris Bishop says it's "disgraceful". Drama in Parliament, with Greens co-leader Chloe Swarbrick kicked out of the House for the second day in a row. Former Speaker Sir David Carter says Gerry Brownlee is right to crack down on MPs misbehaving. Bad news if you have kids at secondary school. Teachers are going on strike next Wednesday and PPTA president Chris Abercrombie tells Heather just how big a payrise they're after. Kiwi woman Sarah Shaw is still in a US detention centre with her 6-year old. Her lawyer speaks to Heather. Plus, the Huddle debates whether Chloe Swarbrick deserved her suspensions - and whether the ex-ministers should front up to the Covid inquiry. Get the Heather du Plessis-Allan Drive Full Show Podcast every weekday evening on iHeartRadio, or wherever you get your podcasts. LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Unionised secondary teachers who say kids' needs aren't being met in school will strike next week, nationwide. They'll step away from the job next Wednesday after rejecting a three percent pay increase over three years. The PPTA says experienced teachers will be crucial to successfully rolling out proposed Government NCEA reforms. President Chris Abercrombie says the teachers introduced a counter-offer, but it's up to the Government to do their part. LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

NCEA Level 1 achievement's dropped to its lowest level in a decade, while all qualifications saw improvement. In 2024, achievement in Levels 2, 3, and University Entrance went up for the first time since 2020. Student's completing Level 1 continued to drop, and Māori also fell further behind. Darfield High School Principal Andy England told Ryan Bridge there've been problems with the qualification since its introduction. He says there's been a lot of tinkering for teachers to get their heads round and some of the introduction texts were awful. And secondary teachers will soon swapping their pens for pickets. Post Primary Teachers' Association members will put down the tools next Wednesday, rejecting a 3% pay increase over three years. Public Service Minister Judith Collins says the union didn't even have a counter offer. PPTA member and Rangitoto College teacher Paul Stevens says the offer is essentially a pay cut during a teacher shortage. He says it means wages don't even match inflation. England told Bridge with an incoming NCEA overhaul he gets where teachers are coming from. He asks what would you say if your boss offered to pay you less and work harder. LISTEN ABOVE See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

A secondary teachers' union is dubious AI could adequately grade almost all school assessments within three years. The Government plans to replace NCEA with a system emphasising literacy and numeracy more. The Education Minister is also now saying AI is already partly in use for marking - and NZQA is confident it could do almost all assessments by 2028. PPTA President, Chris Abercrombie, says he isn't convinced. "Seeing how the students write, understanding, reading between the lines - sometimes you have to figure out what the students are trying to say and I just don't know if AI is quite there yet to be able to do those kinds of things." LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

A teachers union is hoping the Government keeps the bulk of NCEA. A major announcement on the future of the secondary qualification is expected to be imminent. It's understood public consultation will be launched on proposed changes -- in which teachers and parents can give feedback. PPTA President Chris Abercrombie told Ryan Bridge he wants improvements - not for it to be thrown out entirely. He says there are some issues with coherency around subjects and the structure of vocational pathways. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

The Post Primary Teachers Association has rejected a pay offer of one percent a year for three years. Post Primary Teachers Association President Chris Abercrombie spoke to Corin Dann.

Teachers and principals are relying on other students to know if someone is bringing a weapon to school. Figures released under the Official Information Act show 526 students were stood down, suspended, or excluded for using or having a weapon at school last year. That's 80% higher than in 2018. PPTA President Chris Abercrombie told Ryan Bridge the experience of most schools tends to be the same. He says bag searches are very rare, and more often than not, students tell staff about the weapon. LISTEN ABOVE See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Little guidance around how money is spent on principals' wellbeing, is being seen as a key cause for excessive state-school spending. A report from the Office of the Auditor-General - as reported in the Post - has discovered 54 schools were questioned for “sensitive” spending with no apparent educational benefit. In 2022, the Ministry of Education paid $6.3 million dollars to 524 schools, with principals able to access up to $6,000 dollars each for wellbeing. PPTA President Chris Abercrombie told Mike Hosking that there was little guidance on the money, which he says gave principals freedom to do as they see fit. He says there weren't many rules about how the money should be used at the start. LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

An error by the Education Ministry has meant teacher shortages for this year and last were not forecasted. The Ministry is now projecting that schools will be 1250 teachers short between 2025 and 2027. Principals and teachers' unions have had to combine classes and cancel subjects due to the shortage. PPTA President Chris Abercombie talks to Ryan Bridge. LISTEN ABOVE.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

As kids get ready to head back to school, educators are worried about a lack of teachers - with a shortage of about 346 full time teachers sparking concerns. The PPTA's Chris Abercrombie says New Zealand is competing with the rest of the world for staff. He says New Zealand needs to be an attractive place for domestic teachers to stay, and for overseas teachers to move to. "The Government could be looking at increasing pay and conditions at their upcoming collective agreement - we know that pay helps keep people in the profession." LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Nyheter och fördjupning från Sverige och världen. Lyssna på alla avsnitt i Sveriges Radio Play.

Nyheter och fördjupning från Sverige och världen. Lyssna på alla avsnitt i Sveriges Radio Play.

There's fiery opposition to the Government's charter schools move by the teacher's union. Associate Education Minister David Seymour's championing a move to convert 35 state schools to charter schools, allowing $153 million for the initiative. It's caused the PPTA to change its constitution to allow members who teach at charter schools to be members, despite its stance against the schools. PPTA President Chris Abercrombie told Heather du Plessis-Allan it's not a backtrack, and they're still opposed. He says the Government's forcing the conversion of schools against the teacher's will. LISTEN ABOVE See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

The Education Minister says she has a great relationship with the teachers' union, despite some disagreement. A PPTA survey shows a majority of teachers are unhappy with the NCEA level one roll out. It comes as the organisation has its conference this week, with Minister Erica Stanford speaking yesterday, defending the controversial move to remove te reo funding for teachers. She told Heather du Plessis-Allan most of teachers' concerns are with NCEA changes, which are the previous Government's fault, and she agrees. LISTEN ABOVE See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

PPTA president Chris Abercrombie speaks to Lisa Owen about his opposition to the return of charter schools

Chapter Two: Recognizing the Energy Around YouThis week we dive into the book, Personal Power Through Awareness. In this early chapter, we learn energy makes up everything around us and we can learn to sense that energy. In order to be able to sense energy and work with it, we cultivate a relaxed stance in the world. Orin offers the technique of making your mind go blank, or turn it into a white screen, in order to reset your energy if you are in a distressing situation or encounter feelings you would like to change. We practice using our imagination to visualize a rose, to recognize we already have the skill we need to begin working with energy.After our breath practice, we do a meditation by Robert Peng, a Qigong master, to notice our inner and outer senses. https://www.robertpeng.com/Get the Book! Personal Power Through Awareness on Amazon: https://www.amazon.com/Personal-Power-through-Awareness-revised/dp/1608686078/ref=sr_1_7?crid=1DOEYC8EPJ709&dib=eyJ2IjoiMSJ9.PZBASWKzpcMoSA0YJN3T3GWdmEZ1UCNT0MFs5sfrXWNC3lsadtLoHY0LhCCIQF05tDoeJfv3Cc09pPheNXFyuJjIHINaKyMy6IGnvQDgHxk_TOSORiwRNXLMt45-I_bgHOPx-dXSr7FpAJW1Db1cScw-fnxKPhfBinWcQpvXV1wFjM8TYMkcyA0pTkuHolqmvfRq3fjLYVri7NVZqQQlsESGde_01h6uXeBJ9B1oNUM.XEiOUfIMnTNQ_mYnrE4_EL4oVx4N0UAdqJ5fpzSystQ&dib_tag=se&keywords=sanaya+roman+books&qid=1713886829&sprefix=sanaya,aps,90&sr=8-7And here are two links to orindaben.com where Sanaya's work is housed:https://www.orindaben.com/catalog/prodno/PPTA/https://www.orindaben.com/catalog/section/personal_power_through_awareness/'Blending with Your Soul' music by Sanaya Roman (orindaben.com)Podcast production by iRonick Media (ironickmedia.com)Disclaimer:Breath exercises are not intended to diagnose or treat illness. Anyone undertaking to practice breath awareness and exercises should be mindful of their health and consult their health care practitioner if they have any questions about their fitness for this practice. 

Season Seven!After 3 years and over 150 episodes of Miriam's Meditations, it feels like a good time to do something new. For the next several weeks, I'm going to be teaching from this book:Personal Power Through Awareness, an Orin Book by Sanaya Roman. (We will still be breathing too!)Reading Orin is like visiting with a kind friend whose guidance is useful and practical and above all JOYFUL!I encourage you to get a copy of the book to get a deeper insight into the meditations we'll be doing. You don't have to read the book, however, you will still get a lot out of the meditations. I hope you'll join us in the energy clubhouse that we're creating on the inner planes.Here's a link to get the book on Amazon: https://www.amazon.com/Personal-Power-through-Awareness-revised/dp/1608686078/ref=sr_1_7?crid=1DOEYC8EPJ709&dib=eyJ2IjoiMSJ9.PZBASWKzpcMoSA0YJN3T3GWdmEZ1UCNT0MFs5sfrXWNC3lsadtLoHY0LhCCIQF05tDoeJfv3Cc09pPheNXFyuJjIHINaKyMy6IGnvQDgHxk_TOSORiwRNXLMt45-I_bgHOPx-dXSr7FpAJW1Db1cScw-fnxKPhfBinWcQpvXV1wFjM8TYMkcyA0pTkuHolqmvfRq3fjLYVri7NVZqQQlsESGde_01h6uXeBJ9B1oNUM.XEiOUfIMnTNQ_mYnrE4_EL4oVx4N0UAdqJ5fpzSystQ&dib_tag=se&keywords=sanaya+roman+books&qid=1713886829&sprefix=sanaya,aps,90&sr=8-7And here are two links to orindaben.com where Sanaya's work is housed:https://www.orindaben.com/catalog/prodno/PPTA/https://www.orindaben.com/catalog/section/personal_power_through_awareness/'Temple of Healing Love' music by Sanaya Roman (orindaben.com)Podcast production by iRonick Media (ironickmedia.com)Disclaimer:Breath exercises are not intended to diagnose or treat illness. Anyone undertaking to practice breath awareness and exercises should be mindful of their health and consult their health care practitioner if they have any questions about their fitness for this practice.