Swings + Roundabouts Winter 2021

A NON-ANSWER “Why is there a pay gap between certificated teachers working in education and care services and their counterparts in kindergartens?” This question and answer appeared in the Ministry of Education’s Q&A webpage, but disappeared a few days later. We think the question is VERY relevant and should remain. Moreover, we remain concerned the Ministry’s answer to the question fails to answer it at all. Why is the teacher pay gap there at all? The Ministry answered: “Education and care teachers and their counterparts working in kindergartens have never been paid exactly the same. However, both service types received the same funding rates until 2010 in order to allow for pay parity. The Government at the time froze the funding rates for education and care services while continuing to provide rate increases for kindergartens to pay for collective agreement costs. This appears to have exacerbated any pay gap that may have existed in 2010.” (https://www.education.govt.nz/early- childhood/employment/pay-parity- for-certificated-teachers-in-education- and-care-services/, 26 May 2021) AT THE 100% FUNDING BAND June 2021 { 12 }