Tenacity and Frustration

Getting private sector dance teaching recognised in primary schools

by Jenny Cossey

Dance teachers who wish to be employed in state schools are usually employed in one of three ways:

• a GST registered self-employed dance teacher on a fixed term short contract
• a teacher-aide employee
• completing a degree and teacher training, as a classroom or specialist teacher, for a variable number of hours per week

While the latter two pay rates are determined by the Ministry of Education (MOE) the legal employer of teachers is the Board of Trustees (BOT). The MOE fund teacher’s salaries, but it is the BOT who employ staff and choose the level of specialist art activities in their schools.

There are private sector dance teachers, whose experience includes skills in teaching and behaviour management, who would like MOE financial acknowledgement. Principals and BOTs acknowledge this by employing skilled dance specialists. 

Read the full article (Iss. 9) Tenacity and Frustration