KEY POINTS:
Only a third of primary principals who left their jobs this year moved to another principal role, a new survey suggests.
Others retired, became fulltime parents or changed careers.
Council for Educational Research (NZCER) senior researcher Dr Keren Brooking said New Zealand was facing a shortage of experienced school principals with leadership knowledge. Already the Government has recognised pressure on the supply of school principals.
Among a raft of leadership initiatives created in education in the past five years was the Aspiring Principals' Programme, which was being piloted this year.
Dr Brooking said the NZCER analysis examined data from 120 primary schools that responded to a survey sent to 248 schools that advertised for a new principal between January and September.
She said just 34 per cent replied that the departing principal was changing jobs to take on a principal role at another school. Meanwhile, 22 per cent were retiring and 18 per cent were leaving for other reasons, such as sick leave or fulltime parenting. A small number were leaving the education sector or going overseas.
Dr Brooking said specific training on principalship was not mandatory and New Zealand's offering was out of step with some other countries.
"In Britain, principals have to be qualified for the position of principalship before they become one, while in New Zealand they don't."
She said a lack of focus on leadership skills was worrying. A quarter of the study group's principals had a post-graduate qualification. One in five appointed had no qualification higher than a two-year teaching diploma.
EMPTY SEATS
Reasons for the principal vacancies:
* 34 per cent moving to a new principal position
* 22 per cent retiring
* 18 per cent leaving for other reasons, including sick leave or fulltime parenting
* 18 per cent to work in other education jobs, such as teaching
* 4 per cent to careers outside education
* 3 per cent going overseas
SOURCE: NZCER
