New $26-million pay system creates high cost for schools

19 September 2012

New $26-million pay system creates high cost for schools

The Ministry of Education’s new multi-million dollar school pay system is causing widespread stress amongst principals and staff as well as significant blow-outs in school budgets.

The NZEI Te Riu Roa survey of school principals has found that over 80 percent of principals say that the new Novopay system has had a “significant impact” on their workload.

Nearly 25 percent say the system has cost their school more than $1500 in extra costs and over half the schools say they expect that the additional workload created by Novopay will continue for the rest of the year. As well, a significant number believe that the extra workload will be a permanent feature.

NZEI School Principals’ Representative, Louise Green says despite the enormous $26-million cost of the project and years of development, it appears that the Ministry of Education was under-prepared for last month’s changeover.

She says many school principals have expressed extreme frustration over the situation and small schools have found the extra time and costs involved in the transition particularly difficult.

Louise Green says school administration staff have been particularly hard hit.

“Principals are genuinely concerned about the wellbeing of support staff who are under considerable strain and working beyond what is regarded as reasonable.”

“We’re hearing reports that some staff have been reduced to tears as well as situations where payroll officers have been working unpaid overtime out of goodwill because schools cannot afford to pay them.”

ENDS

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