They show why they couldn’t be trusted

Radio NZ reports:

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 are right in that the Minister now appoints a majority. But this is not a bad thing.

“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.

This is the key. The activist groups have taken over teacher registration and force teachers to affirm their political views about the role of the Treaty as a condition of recognition as a teacher. They are not sulking that their takeover has been thwarted.

Registration as a teacher should be dependent on their ability to teach and act appropriately. It should not be dependent on agreeing with a particular political viewpoint.