Principals to vote on MoE pay offer

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Media Release

25 August 2003

Principals to vote on MoE pay offer

The PPTA Principals Council has stopped short of recommending the Education Ministry’s latest offer to settle the secondary principals pay claim despite putting it to secondary principals for ratification.

Principals’ Council chairperson Russell Trethewey said secondary principals still felt aspects of the offer were primary-specific and structured in a way that failed to address the complexity of their jobs or solve emerging recruitment and retention problems.

“The Ministry continues to disregard a key finding of the working party on secondary principals’ remuneration which is the need for a remuneration system that recognises professional growth and sound performance,” he said.

“Secondary schools are very complex institutions. Principals must deal with a specialist curriculum, national qualifications and a multitude of organisational and social issues, yet many say their job is so big that it’s almost undoable and they never get time to reflect on professional leadership.

“A professional component in principals’ remuneration is essential to support them to build their capacity as professional leaders in schools. That leadership role is even more important given the Government’s latest education priorities.”

Mr Trethewey said that the Ministry offer also failed to establish an appropriate margin for principals’ salaries so they were sufficient to attract aspiring principals and retain experienced principals.

“Recruiting and retaining secondary principals will continue to get harder, given the current difficulties of recruiting to middle and senior management positions in secondary schools. In many cases boards are unable to attract enough suitable applicants to principal positions and are having to readvertise positions repeatedly to get a minimum field of applicants.”

Details of the offer:
*A short-term settlement to expire 30 April 2004
*An overall pay increase of 9.08% from 9 July 2003
*A targeted high priority principals allowance of $3000pa for principals in a minimum of 45 schools and maximum of 50 schools from 9 July 2003
*A working party on professional growth and performance
*An employer-subsidised retirement savings scheme from 9 July 2003
*A requirement to advertise principals’ positions in mergers

Ends.

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