Government education plan gets thumbs down

Primary school leaders overwhelmingly expressed a lack of confidence in the Government’s $359m Investing in Educational Success policy at a forum held in Wellington on June 10.

NZEI Te Riu Roa National President Judith Nowotarski said leaders from national and regional principal and teacher groups have sent a clear message that the Government’s policy, as it currently stands, is unacceptable and unworkable.

The group identified the lack of direct benefit for children in this policy.

The IES policy, announced by the Prime Minister in January, would create four new roles (executive principal, change principal, expert teacher, and lead teacher) working across up to ten schools.

NZ Principals’ Federation President Philip Harding said school leaders were not convinced that this policy was flexible enough to work effectively in schools, which often sit in vastly different contexts, both geographically and socially.

School leaders were concerned that the policy would remove great teachers and principals from their schools for two days a week, which would impact on children’s learning.

Forum members agreed to go back to their school communities and Boards of Trustees to raise awareness about their concerns with the policy.