Teachers around New Zealand reeling from the news that their registration fees could more than double will be even angrier that the National Government has removed their ability to have any say about who sits on the Council that sets those fees, Labour's Education spokesperson Chris Hipkins says.

"National removed all elected representation from the Education Council, making teachers one of the few highly regulated professions to be governed by a body appointed exclusively by Ministers.

"The Council are the appropriate body to set registration fees, but their mandate to do so has been seriously undermined by the lack of democracy in the way they are selected.

"This week in Parliament I will table an amendment to the Education Act that will give teachers the right to elect the majority of members on the Education Council.

"My amendment puts teachers back in control of their own regulatory body and I challenge all parties in Parliament who profess to support teachers to vote in favour of it.

"Labour has been very clear from the outset that one of our top priorities in the education portfolio will be putting more autonomy and trust back in the hands of the teaching profession. My amendment this week is one small step towards that goal,” says Chris Hipkins.

SOURCE: Office of Chris Hipkins