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Teacher stuck on $59,000 says she wants 'equal wages for equal training'

Author
Newstalk ZB,
Publish Date
Thu, 11 Oct 2018, 8:39AM
Eileen Gilmour completed three years of training at what was formerly known as the Hamilton Teachers' College in 1973-75. Photo / NZ Herald

Teacher stuck on $59,000 says she wants 'equal wages for equal training'

Author
Newstalk ZB,
Publish Date
Thu, 11 Oct 2018, 8:39AM

A teacher with 43 years experience is stuck on a salary of $59,621 a year because she doesn't have a degree.

Eileen Gilmour completed three years of training at what was formerly known as the Hamilton Teachers' College in 1973-75, which she says is the equivalent to a Bachelor of Teaching.

However, despite that, she makes $12,000 less than her son, who trained as a teacher 30 years after she did.

Speaking with Newstalk ZB's Mike Yardley, she said it is extremely demoralising and has left her feeling shafted.

"Back in the seventies, we received a Trained Teacher's Certificate, it wasn't called a Bachelor's of Teaching and then a few years later it did become Bachelor's of Teaching.

"Then parity was granted with secondary school teachers with the same qualification and experience and this gave the degree holders a boost of about $12,000."

"But what it meant was, those of us who still had this Trained Teacher's Certificate were locked out because it wasn't called a degree," she said.

The Ministry of Education says teachers with a Trained Teacher's Certificate had the option to retrain for a year to get their qualification recognised as a degree, however, Gilmour said that doesn't make any sense.

"Why would I do that? Would you like to have to upgrade? The basic training was the same, we did a three-year course, we did one-year probationary training in a classroom."

She said all she wants is the same wages as teachers with degrees.

"Why hasn't the Ministry of Education fixed this? It was an anomaly that happened 20 years ago, we want it fixed."

"We are just asking for the same wage, for the same qualification, for the same training."

Salary caps

Today

$59,621 (step 8) with Diploma of Teaching

$71,891 (step 11) with Bachelor's Degree

Ministry offer for 2020

$69,857 (step 9) with Diploma of Teaching

$78,557 (step 11) with Bachelor's Degree

Note: Teachers start on steps 1 to 7 depending on their qualifications, then go up one step a year until they reach their salary cap. They can go above the cap in roles such as syndicate leader or principal.

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