Meet our Support Staff....

We will introduce our NZEI Support staff members each day this week. We are currently working towards both a collective agreement settlement for all support staff and a pay equity settlement for teacher aides, with pay equity claims for other support staff roles.

The current "Living Wage" is $21.15, 72% of teacher aides countrywide are on  Grade B which ranges from $17.70 - $20.69.

As support staff, we each have our own personal stories from our work. It's those real stories that we want to share with you! 

Hi, I'm Jackie Fellows

I am a qualified Early Childhood Teacher and a qualified Teacher Aide and have been working at Oamaru Intermediate School for 5 years, but have been a Teacher Aide for 11 years.

My day can vary depending on staff availability, which means I have to be flexible. I work one on one with a student that has high complex needs. I sign with her and have introduced a communication device teaching her to use Touch Chat. Toileting, personal hygiene and various behaviours are a part of every day. I'm involved with other programmes including RDA twice a week. 

I can be dealing with students medical conditions one minute and strapping ankles the next. I assist teachers with their classroom programmes and work alongside students in the technology areas. There is also the housekeeping that needs to be attended to.

I enjoy my job and celebrate all the small achievements that the students I work with make. It is a very rewarding but challenging job.