Ministry of Education head of sector enablement and support Katrina Casey said the fact two of the schools were in Northland was an acknowledgement of the challenges schools in the area faced in recruitment. Both Northland schools would benefit from a fresh start under quality leadership, Ms Casey said. Neither school responded to requests for comment by edition time.
Opononi Area School has had nine principals, or acting principals, in nine years. It also has a declining roll, high staff turnover, significant under-achievement and a history of Ministry of Education intervention.
A community member, who has been in the area for 20 years, said she felt "very positive" about the grant. The school was the hub of the community and, if it had a good name then that would attract families and more economic opportunities, she said.
Mangamuka School, which had a ministry commissioner appointed in May last year, had unsuccessfully tried to recruit a principal on two occasions. Students, all of whom were Maori, were "significantly underachieving", Ms Casey said.
While the school was small, with only 13 students, it was important that rural schools like Mangamuka School had quality leadership, Ms Casey said. "Every child at every school deserves a chance at a good education ..."
Incoming principals have to meet a range of criteria including experience turning around a challenging school, lifting student achievement, working with diverse learners and good ERO reports. They are also assessed each year before being given the grant. Principals get paid between $78,000 and $147,000 per year depending on the size of the school.
Te Tai Tokerau Principals Association president Pat Newman said he thought the grant was a waste of money. "What they've got to look at is the overall picture rather than throwing money at it."
New Zealand Principals' Federation president Denise Torrey said there was no research that showed a correlation between paying extra money to a principal and better learning outcomes for children.
