April 12, 2023
Principals cracking under ministry demands
A negotiator for area school principals says principals will quit the sector if the Ministry of Education doesn’t stop increasing their workloads.
Primary and area school principals who are members of NZEI Te Riu Roa have voted to ban work on ministry projects when they come back for term 2 on April 24.
Ripeka Lessels, the principal at Kawerau’s Te Whata Tau ō Pūtauaki, says the ministry has added 25 new projects to principals’ workloads this year alone.
She says the Government needs to realise the toll it is taking on their mental health and well-being.
So we’re kind of saying well hang on, slow down, stop for a wee bit… and this current course of action is just – well to say so you want us to do all this stuff, well you now need to reflect that in the offer that you give us – because you haven’t.
Ripeka Lessels says government thinks offering more money is the solution – but ignoring the wellbeing of teachers is causing increasing burn out and dissatisfaction .