[W]e are not glorified babysitters! We are experts in early learning.

What does the issue of pay mean for you as a teacher, and the tamariki you teach?

I do not feel valued. I am still paying off a spent loan and I feel my qualifications aren’t even appreciated or utilised. We do so much for our communities and are the support network for them and their tamariki, we should be paid an amount that reflects this as we are not glorified babysitters! We are experts in early learning.

What will it take to fix pay for kindergarten teachers?

Stop capping [the pay of] relievers, pay us a fair hourly rate that matches our teaching colleagues in primary and beyond.

When we fix pay for kindergarten teachers, what impact will that change have on you as a teacher, and the tamariki you teach?

I might be able to afford to live. I will feel valued and will therefore be less stressed at work and will be able to give more to the tamariki I teach.