Principals want pay settled

Principals are asking to be paid more money for any foreign fee-paying students they have at their schools.

Secondary Principals Association president Paul Ferris said that at the moment a principal at a state school was paid by the Ministry of Education according to the number of New Zealand students on a school roll.

If a principal wanted more money for extra work involved with boarding or foreign fee-paying students they had to ask the school board.

Some principals missed out on extra money for this work because they did not feel comfortable about asking the school board for more money, Mr Ferris said.

"Lots of principals, particularly women, find it very difficult to raise issues of salary and reward with their board." If the money was paid out from the ministry it would be "a done deal".

Mr Ferris said Minister of Education Trevor Mallard had been told of the problem.