Teachers' strike: students caught in an adult dispute

Anger is mounting among parents of high school students missing out due to on-going teacher strikes. The Government and the Post Primary Teachers' Association (PPTA) have been in negotiations for almost a year. While primary school teachers have reached a settlement, secondary teachers rejected the latest Ministry of Education collective agreement offer. Two year levels each day are being rostered home, across four days of the week. A parent petition to the Ministry of Education and the PPTA went on line on Monday pleading to stop the rostered days off. Kathryn is joined by Ngaire White, whose 16 year old daughter was sprung a mock maths exam with less than a day's notice because of impending strike action, and Hamilton-based parent of two Jono Skipwith who launched the petition. Also, senior education lecturer at the University of Waikato, Dr Katrina McChesney who, while sympathising with parents and students, thinks the action is necessary to forestall further teacher shortages.