Principals protest lack of offer by disengaging with education roadshow

Hundreds of principals say they won’t engage with the Minister of Education’s Curriculum Roadshow For Leaders until they receive a collective agreement offer.

It comes after primary principals voted earlier this month to take strike action on 23 October. 

Stephanie Madden, the chair of NZEI Te Riu Roa Principals’ Council, says principals don’t feel they can engage with the roadshow, which the Minister is due to roll out across the country next month, when they feel so unsupported by the Government. 

“Earlier this year, principals were asked to implement changes to the curriculum and deliver these changes at an unreasonable and exhausting pace – over three months instead of a more usual timeframe of about three years. This made our workloads unsustainable and caused burnout in our profession.” 

As part of their collective agreement negotiations, primary principals have asked for support for, and recognition of, the intensive change management they are leading. But, despite negotiating since July, they are yet to receive an offer.  

“We asked the Government to recognise the impact those curriculum changes had on us. Instead, we’ve been asked to negotiate within a 1% envelope.”  

“We don't feel we can engage with the Minister of Education’s curriculum roadshow under these circumstances.” 

The Curriculum Roadshow is aimed at principals and other school leaders and the Minister is due to speak at them. 

‘We’re telling the Minister that we're not backing down. There’s been an ever-increasing pace of change and we need that recognised and we need the right support in place.”