Principals meet with Ministry of Education over pay

Lynmore Primary School principal Lorraine Taylor. Photo / File

Principals from around Rotorua, Taupō and Whakatāne have met with the Ministry of Education to discuss what they might do if their needs are not addressed in the latest NZEI collective offer.

In June primary school teachers accepted a $1.5 billion pay offer but principals rejected it.

The ministry's director of education for the Bay of Plenty, Waiariki, Ezra Schuster said the meeting was respectful and a chance for him to listen to the principals' concerns and give them assurance he would pass them on to the ministry.

"One thing that I had said was, from a negotiating point of view, how much we really value the work they do. We'll relay their concerns to the ministry. Other than that we'll continue to work with principals as and when required."

Schuster said the almost 30 principals at the meeting expressed "real disappointment" at the bargaining between the New Zealand Education Institute union and the ministry.

Lynmore Primary School principal Lorraine Taylor said the principals were disappointed that the offer from the Government hadn't evolved since March when the principals last declined it.

Ministry of Education's Ezra Schuster/ Photo / File

She said the fact the teachers had settled created inequity in which some senior staff could earn more than principals.

"There would be no point in teachers giving up their jobs when they may have to take a pay cut and would have all the responsibility and workload that goes with that."

Taylor said the ministry had agreed that teachers across different school levels should have pay parity but she didn't feel that had translated into pay parity for principals.

Taylor said principals wanted the next offer to reflect the value of the work of rural principals as that was a common career pathway for upcoming principals, and address pay parity.

Principals had discussed "disengaging with the ministry" by refusing to take part in joint projects, working parties and discussion groups.

Rotorua Ministry of Education offices. Photo / Supplied

Schuster said negotiations were due to happen over the next few days in the hopes an agreement would be reached.

"Our negotiation team will be sitting down over the next few days.

"[Yesterday's meeting] was a really good opportunity to do things kanohi ki te kanohi (face to face)."

He acknowledged the concern senior teachers could potentially be paid more than principals.

At the time principals rejected the latest offer ministry head Iona Holsted said she was disappointed that the primary principals had rejected "the substantial offer made to them".

"In rejecting the offer, over 1900 primary principals have walked away from an immediate $1500 payment and pay rises on 1 July of up to 13 per cent for over 500 principals," she said.

"Pay parity between primary and secondary principals is a much more complex issue than it is between teachers."