PPTA Considers Charter School Teachers For Membership

• The PPTA is proposing to allow membership for teachers working in charter schools.
• David Seymour views this as a positive shift towards accepting charter schools.
• Charter school teachers may gain collective bargaining rights through PPTA membership.

The Post Primary Teachers' Association (PPTA) is proposing to allow teachers from charter schools to join the union. This move marks a shift from its long-standing opposition to charter schools and has been welcomed by Associate Education Minister David Seymour.

“The PPTA has had a come to Jesus moment on charter schools. This is a major departure from the union’s previous position and shows they’re finally accepting the reality of charter schools,” said Mr Seymour.

In the past, the union prevented its members from working at charter schools and restricted charter school students’ participation in shared services and sports competitions with state schools. This change could provide charter school teachers with increased support and options for employment through union membership.

Mr Seymour highlighted that allowing charter school teachers to join would enable the PPTA to initiate single employer collective bargaining. However, multi-employer collective agreements, which could limit the independence of charter schools, would still not apply to charter school staff.

“Charter schools are all about improving outcomes for students. Flexibility is essential for this as it will drive an increase in innovation and choice within education, meeting needs and expectations of students, and increasing the quality of education,” he added.

Overall, this shift could lead to more inclusivity and collaboration between traditional and charter school teachers, helping students access shared resources and activities more freely.