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Early childhood teachers are over the moon at their new pay parity deal.
Employers have agreed to increase the salary for experienced pre-school staff to $56,000 by 2008.
That is a rise of nearly $20,000, and will put them on the same level as their primary and secondary counterparts.
Their union's national secretary Lynne Bruce says a lot of work has been put in over the past few years to validate early childhood education.
Bruce says the agreement will do wonders for the early childhood sector.
Employers say the new pay parity agreement shows their staff are just as important as primary and secondary teachers.
New Zealand Childcare Association CEO Nancy Bell negotiated for the employers and says they are happy with the result.
She says the agreement recognises the teachers' work is as important as that of their primary and secondary counterparts.
Nancy Bell says it is now up to Education Minister Trevor Mallard to come through on his promise to fund the pay rise.
- reprinted from NZ City News