OPEN LETTER TO MINISTER OF EDUCATION JAN TINETTI

From Primary and Area School Principals

Dear Minister Tinetti,

From COVID-19 to recent cyclone and flooding emergencies, teaching and learning has been incredibly disrupted over the last few years. Throughout it, principals of our schools have been working hard to make sure our tamariki are supported to achieve educational success.

We love our jobs and our schools. We need you to know, though, that we are stretched and stressed.

We are grappling with long hours and increasingly complex work demands which impact on our mental wellbeing as well as our own whānau.

In our smallest schools, we are struggling to be principal, leader, teacher, social worker, office administrator, caretaker, bus driver and school nurse – frequently all at the same time due to a lack of resourcing.

We have operated on goodwill for too long.

We can fix this, with your help, by:

• Recognising and valuing the role of our principals and tumuaki with a pay offer that values principals, to ensure we can attract and retain principals now and in future.

• Ensuring professional wellbeing for school leaders by giving all principals access to support so that we can continue to provide strong leadership.

• Setting out an ambitious plan to address the shortfall in staffing in primary schools. Government was advised in the Tomorrows Schools Review to fix the disparity between primary and secondary schools – where there is a big gap in staffing entitlements.

We know as a recent principal yourself, that you understand the day-to-day reality for principals. We need you to send a message to principals that you are ready to act to make things better. That you have our back.

Principals’ Council NZEI Te Riu Roa

On behalf of Primary and Area School Principal Members