Tauranga principals Matt Skilton (left), Shane Cunliffe, and Craig Wallis will vote next week on whether to go ahead with strike action. Photo / Andrew Warner
Tauranga principals Matt Skilton (left), Shane Cunliffe, and Craig Wallis will vote next week on whether to go ahead with strike action. Photo / Andrew Warner
Primary and intermediate school principals across the country will be able to discuss and vote on a new collective agreement offer next week.
The new offer, that was announced yesterday, would see a pay parity with secondary principals.
It came over a month after principals rejected a $64 million payoffer because it was proportionately less than a $1.5 billion offer accepted by teachers.
This offer provides most principals with a cumulative pay increase of about 11 per cent, along with professional development fund and additional support staff for smaller schools.
The Bay of Plenty Times sat down with principals of six different kinds of schools earlier this week to talk about the issues they face.
Fuller says he decided one day that the rewards were not meeting the effort in principalship anymore and that in a year's time, he would be doing something different.
He has bought a sheet metal fabrication business and will continue work in educational consultancy.
Principal at St Mary's School Ben Fuller. Photo / File
Tahatai Coast School principal Matt Skilton
Work worries keep Matt Skilton up at night.
As the president of the Western Bay of Plenty Principals' Association, Skilton says he has never seen the situation "as dire as this".
Fewer teachers are interested in stepping up to the role of principal because of the pressure and he is aware of dozens of local principals who are either considering leaving or have chosen to leave – representing a high portion of the district's leaders.
Skilton is sceptical about how a strike would work. Principals feel a duty of care to their schools and would struggle to put that to one side during a strike.
Every principal will tell their deputies: "If anything was to happen, just call me," he says.
Being a principal is similar to a chief executive of a company, Skilton says – they look after hundreds of staff and students on a "shoestring budget".
The Government's pay offer of 3 per cent over three years will hardly keep up with the rate of inflation, Skilton says.
Tauranga principals Shane Cunliffe (left), Matt Skilton and Craig Wallis. Photo / Andrew Warner
Te Puke Primary School principal Shane Cunliffe
The health and wellbeing of fellow principals is at the forefront of Shane Cunliffe's mind.
The role encompasses responsibilities across the board, he says, whether that be a child's tooth decay or violence in the community.
This weight on their shoulders often has negative effects on their mental health.
Cunliffe says family often came last due to the demands of the job and having no time for your own children is difficult.
The constant strain caused some to hit "rock bottom" and seek counselling.
He wants the Government to acknowledge the endless hours, ongoing stress and general conditions of the profession.
Welcome Bay School principal Jamie De La Haye
Jamie De La Haye's children try and block the door every weekend so their dad can stay home instead of heading to school.
He has worked every weekend without fail since he became the principal of Welcome Bay School six months ago.
His work-life balance is almost "maxed out", he says.
Whether it be someone crashing into the school fence or a resourcing problem for the week after, a principal's phone is always on and "the buck always ends with you", De La Haye says.
Tauranga Intermediate principal Cameron Mitchell
Cameron Mitchell says highly qualified principals are seeking lesser roles to rid themselves of the pressures that come with the top job.
He recently advertised a deputy principal's position and a large number of applicants were highly qualified principals.
Others are seeking jobs overseas which have better work conditions, Mitchell says.
In many other countries, teachers and principals are ranked alongside doctors and lawyers in terms of profile and pay, and he says New Zealand needs to take note.
The number of aspiring principals climbing the ranks has dropped dramatically, he says.
Mitchell has heard that a number of deputies, who previously aspired to head into principalship, have lost interest. The job has lost its appeal, he says.
Principals belonging to the union will discuss in paid union meetings next week and vote in an online ballot.
Ministry of Education response:
Deputy secretary of early learning and student achievement for the Ministry of Education Ellen MacGregor-Reid says the ministry had been talking with the primary principals' union this week to discuss how an offer might be adjusted to best meet their members' needs.
She says this was alongside an accord that will address workload and wellbeing.
In response to some of the principal's claims, she says retention of primary principals remain high at more than 94 per cent in the past 10 years.
The key components of the new offer are:
• Pay parity with secondary principals across the roll, staffing and decile components of remuneration, with this being entrenched through a unified pay system.
• A 3 per cent per annum pay increase for three years on the roll and staffing components of remuneration.
• A one-off $1,500 (before tax) payment to NZEI Te Riu Roa members.
• An annual $300,000 professional development fund for primary principals.
• Additional support staff small schools to ensure there are at least two staff members in every school during the school day, from 28 January 2020.
The Ministry of Education has proposed a settlement date of 26 August if members vote to accept the offer.
