Kate Hawkesby: How are we at a time where where they’re sacrificing our children's learning, just to make a point?

I was inundated with feedback yesterday from both parents and teachers regarding the teachers’ strikes this term.

So many teachers got in touch. They're embarrassed, many of them, and annoyed, that the strikes are going on so long.

There are on average five days that high schoolers will be told to stay home while teachers strike for the remainder of this term. So of the three weeks left of school, many students will only do two weeks, one will be swallowed up with strike days.

As I said yesterday, this is super stressful for them, because there are all-important internals on and huge chunks of work is getting missed by not being in the classroom.

It’s not like lockdowns where they could do online learning either, there is no teaching at all, which has now gotten to the point of ridiculous and even the teachers are fed up.

One wrote to me saying she’s so sick of the Union and the zealots who are dragging this out. Another said she’s embarrassed at the reputation this is giving teachers. Another said it’s eroding goodwill with students and parents, and she worries they'll struggle to get that back.

One said she can’t believe they still haven’t accepted any offers; they wanted it to be over by now. Another said it is the children who’re suffering – which was my concern too – that it’s the students missing out on critical learning who are the real victims here.

It’s a weird thing isn’t it that in this day and age of anxious children and woeful mental health stats, that diehard Unionised teachers are happy to keep stoking that fire with their actions.

They’re making these kids stressed and anxious and worried. They’re also setting a really bad example around the importance of education and attendance, which is as we know a huge problem right now in this country.

In fact, some schools have opted to have children come into school even if they're not being taught, just to study at school and be there, to maintain the importance of the routine of coming to school each day.

Many parents are angry that teachers are playing with their kids futures here, and it’s a legitimate concern.

The teachers who’re aware of the support they’re losing from parents and students say they too would like it be over now. But this is the problem with ardent Unionists; they’re zealots for principle, irrespective of the collateral damage.

These kids are collateral damage.

The Unionised teachers who’re digging in have maybe lost sight of what’s happening here. They’re making a rod for their own backs with the amount of time and teaching they’re going to have to make up for, for these kids who have NCEA grades and internals due.

The curriculum keeps going; it doesn’t just stop because teachers walk out.

So these kids are in catch up mode and it’s these teachers who have to get these kids through, and get them achieving their credits.

How will they feel when they finish all their strike action and return to a classroom where their students are all stressed and falling behind?

I’m at a loss to understand how this has gone on this long, at this level of our children’s education.

How is it we are at a point where they’re sacrificing our children and their learning, just to make a point?

Kate Hawkesby is a political broadcaster on Newstalk ZB - her articles can be seen HERE.