NZEI Welcomes Call For Support

March 19, 2007

NZEI Welcomes Call For School Boards To Get More Support

The New Zealand Educational Institute (NZEI Te Riu Roa) welcomes the suggestion that school boards be required to use education professionals when employing a new principal.

The proposal comes in a report issued today by the New Zealand Council For Educational Research (NZCER) entitled, 'School governance in New Zealand: how is it working?’ It suggests the Ministry of Education establish teams of accredited education professionals, with school boards being required to use one of these professionals when appointing a principal.

“NZEI has long argued that there needs to be a more professional approach to the appointment of principals,” says Irene Cooper, National President of NZEI Te Riu Roa, the country’s largest education union.

“This is why we welcome the report’s suggestion that school boards be required to use an external education professional when employing a new principal.”

Irene Cooper says its crucial board’s make good decisions when employing new principals. “As the school’s leader the principal is responsible, not only for the day today running of the school, they’re responsible for establishing an environment in which students are able to learn effectively.”

“So principals need all the skills that it takes to run a medium sized business and to be highly skilled education professionals.”

Irene Cooper says by contrast school board members are not required to have any training or to demonstrate that they have the skills needed to govern a school.

“NZEI applauds parents and other members of the community who take on the huge responsibility of becoming board members and are paid a paltry amount for their services.”

“We should be asking if this model of school governance is the best it could be and whether it is an appropriate model for such an important job,” says Irene Cooper.

NZEI agrees with the report statement that schools need to employ more administrative staff so principals and teachers can focus on student learning.

“Principals clearly need more administrative help,” says Irene Cooper. “But their ability to employ these school support staff is hamstrung by the fact that they’re funded from each school’s operations grant.”

“The report shows that the Government must act now to develop a better system for funding badly needed support staff, such as executive officers, financial administrators and secretaries.”

The report also suggests that the Ministry of Education establish a ‘helpdesk’ network that would provide schools with expert advice on issues such as health and safety requirements.

“We support the report’s suggestions that provide practical proposals to assist principals and school boards run their schools,” says Irene Cooper.

ENDS

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