Making the best of it

Otago Girls’ High School Japanese teacher Bronwyn Thomson gives blood while taking part in a half-day strike yesterday — the second day of NCEA and scholarship exams.

More than 20,000 secondary school teachers across the country went on strike from 1.15pm to 3.15pm.

Post Primary Teachers’ Association members voted overwhelmingly to reject the government’s most recent offer of a 2.5% pay rise in September, before strongly endorsing industrial action.

Ms Thomson, who has been a teacher for about 25 years, said she would have rather been in the classroom teaching than on strike but decided to make use of her time off by giving blood because it was still a community service.