Manawatu¯ teachers show their support for principals
Manawatu¯ teachers took their turn to show support for principals, who are still negotiating with the Ministry of Education over their collective offer.
Primary and intermediate school staff across the country held a national day of support yesterday to stand behind principals, who are still in negotiations. Teachers have already reached an agreement with the ministry.
Ross Intermediate School teachers, all wearing green, gathered to support principal Wayne Jenkins, who said it was an important day.
‘‘Teachers are saying we know that our principals supported us through our campaign. We want to do everything we can to show that you’ve got our support.’’
Jenkins said principals wanted to see two changes to the ministry’s offer. The first was pay parity with secondary principals, which primary teachers had achieved with secondary teachers.
The other was that the increase in teacher pay had created inequality, where a teacher or deputy principal of a large school could be paid more than principals at small schools, Jenkins said.
‘‘Being the principal of a smaller school, you are it. You’re everything. I’m fortunate here because I’ve got people here who can support me.
‘‘We need to make sure [principal roles] continue to be of interest for people, because most schools in New Zealand are smaller schools. If they don’t have principals we have a real problem.’’
Ross Intermediate teacher and New Zealand Educational Institute executive member Liam Rutherford said the situation would make recruitment at smaller schools harder because principals would have to take a pay cut to go there.
‘‘At smaller schools the school tends to be the centre of the community. For them to go through a period of uncertainty about whether they’re going to be able to attract applications is a genuine issue.’’
Principals are in the middle of six weeks of disengaging from communication with the ministry and any ministry work following their rejection in June of the ministry’s latest collective agreement offer. There was talk of more disengagement or possible strike action, but yesterday union NZEI said principals had another offer and would vote on the offer from Thursday. The planned strike ballot will not go ahead while the offer is considered.
Ministry deputy secretary Ellen Macgregor-reid has earlier said with the changes, the lowest salary for a primary principal in the smallest primary school would be about $92,000, rising to about $99,000 by July 2021. Principals would get a new entitlement of 10 hours a term of classroom release time to allow leaders of smaller schools, who also teach, time outside the classroom.