Fairer Funding and Super-sized Support Needed

Fairer Funding and Super-sized Support Needed, Say Principals

The latest research findings from the New Zealand Council for Education Research (NZCER) that show schools are under-funded and principals' stress levels are rising, come as no surprise, according to Whetu Cormick, President of the New Zealand Principals' Federation (NZPF).

'The profession has been through a tough decade. We have not only seen a reduction in school funding but also a reduction in the status and value attributed to the profession which makes it an unattractive career option. At the same time there has been an increase in the demands and complexities of school leadership,' he said.

The research shows that 92% of principals report that their operations grants are insufficient to run their schools and two thirds of principals are using their operations grant to fund additional teachers and support staff. 42% report experiencing high stress levels.

'Our own research conducted last year showed the same findings,' said Cormick.

' I believe three things could make a difference straight away,' he said. 'These include reducing paper work and compliance that don't help young people learn better, increasing the number of leadership advisers available to support principals in their role and giving the operations grants an immediate boost.'

'We look forward to discussing these matters with our new Minister, Hon Chris Hipkins,' he said.

ENDS

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