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Regional | Education

Te Tai Tokerau teachers take protest to the streets

Nearly 1,000 members of the New Zealand Education Institute (NZEI) - Te Riu Roa in Northland were among the 29,000 primary school teachers nationwide who took to the streets this morning to gain government and public attention for better pay, conditions and incentives to attract new teachers.

It is the first time in 24 years that primary school teachers have taken industrial action.

The chair of the Te Tai Tokerau Principals Association, and principal of Horahora School, Pat Newman says that the Ministry of Education is failing children nationwide.

Chair of the Northland Principals Association, Pat Newman says the Ministry of Education is failing children nationwide.

"That’s what our system is doing. We’re writing those children off."

"What the government is saying – and it’s not the only government, it’s not just Labour, this has gone on for damn years- what they are saying is 'those children don’t matter'."