NZEI Primary Principals are committed to negotiating a collective agreement with the government that addresses the under-resourcing of primary schools and the stressful working conditions of primary principals.

As a collective, we have waited patiently for findings from various reports, such as Pūaotanga (an independent review of staffing in primary schools) and the annual Primary Principals Wellbeing Report to be actioned in any way. Findings from the 2021 primary principal wellbeing survey include 44% of principals working more than 55 hours per week; the emotional demands of the principal job being reported as 70.2 / 100, compared with 38.5 / 100 for the general workforce; and general work pace for principals being rated as 68.8 / 100, compared with 38.5 / 100 for the general working population. 

The key issues primary principals are fighting for include:

- Parity with secondary schools around key resourcing. This means having the same staffing ratios, release time and leadership support resourcing as secondary schools

- Improved support for principal hauora (wellbeing)

- Pay that addresses the cost of living rise

Dr Ben Arnold is part of the Educator Health and Wellbeing research group at Deakin University in Melbourne. He says the annual principal wellbeing survey, undertaken since 2016, has shown consistently high feelings of stress for tumuaki (principals) in Aotearoa New Zealand and demonstrated that the job is not getting any easier. 

Dr Arnold addressed an NZEI seminar recently and told them that findings from the 2021 principal survey showed that increasing the funding for more staffing and resourcing for primary schools could go a long way to reducing work demands on school leaders and help improve their feelings of hauora / wellbeing. The recent 2022 survey showed that 62% is the average health self-rating from principals, compared with 72% for the general population. 

The recent strike action by primary principals has not brought about any changes in the original offer from the Ministry of Education. As a collective, primary principals are resolute in the need for significant and meaningful changes in resourcing and conditions for primary schools if we are to support and retain primary principals and grow the profession. As such, we have voted to strike for the duration of Term 2. As a union member and a strong believer in the need for improvement in support and resourcing for primary schools, I will be taking part in this action. 

Unlike our teaching counterparts, strike action by staying away from school is not a useful action, because if we have done our job effectively as principals, our teams will function well on a day to day basis without us. Strike action for principals, therefore, will take the following approach:

From 24th April until 30th June (the whole of Term 2), for union member tumuaki there is a ban on:

1. All work introducing or implementing of any new Ministry of Education initiative (including any further work on the development or implementation of the curriculum refresh); 

2. all work which is participation in any work group, taskforce, or panel which has as a member any employee of or contractor to the Ministry of Education; 

3. all work which is preparation for or communication about any such work group, taskforce or panel; 

4. all work which is the receiving or reading of any written report or evaluation prepared by or for the Ministry of Education; 

5. any work which is the collecting or collating of information for the purpose of providing it to the Ministry of Education; 

6. all work which is meeting or dealing with any Ministry of Education staff member or contractor who visits a school (unless the person is invited by the school); 

7. all work which is participation in Ministry of Education PLD whether online or face to face; 

8. all work which consists of meetings with or discussions with any employee of, or contractor to, the Ministry of Education; 

9. all work, except for Board meetings, occurring before 8am and after 5pm on weekdays. This includes sending or receiving digital communications; 

10. all work on Saturday, Sunday or public holidays.

Such action will not impact the smooth running of the school nor the learning and wellbeing of your tamariki. However, these actions will significantly impact our work and connection with the Ministry of Education, particularly the progress of the work happening currently on updating our New Zealand Curriculum. 

I hope that we have your support with this action. The principal's job is an important and rewarding endeavour; we need to ensure that it is a sustainable and manageable role that entices the very best in our profession. I find the role of principal tremendously fulfilling and meaningful, and my wish is for it to be a job that is sustainable long term. That is what we are fighting for. 

Ngā mihi

Urs Cunningham