Branch calls on Board and CEO to resign

14 December 2005

Branch calls on Board and CEO to resign

Secondary teachers at The Correspondence School today called on the Board of Trustees and the CEO to resign after a “fail” assessment for their performance this year. At a union meeting today the PPTA branch assessed many aspects of their performance during 2005 and found them lacking in significant areas.

Derek Bunting, PPTA Chairperson at the school, said the Board had failed to meet its twin objectives to maintain or advance students’ education and to successfully control the spending of its declining income. Educational outcomes have floundered because the School has sacked over fifty staff and imposed an inappropriate managerial culture, Bunting said.

“A well run school has a collegial atmosphere and a sense of purpose where the best interests of students are paramount. Instead, we have a managerial culture where teachers are reminded frequently about costs and the income each student generates.

“The BOT had introduced, on the CEO’s recommendation, a differentiated service model that rations services and discriminates against groups of students,” Bunting commented. Bunting said the model deprived many students of their birthright. “Many of our students will not achieve access to a free, compulsory and high quality education that students in face-to-face schools receive.

“The Board and senior management have failed to address the reasoned and well-founded concerns that the Branch took to the Board earlier this year. The branch has very serious concerns that the School is not meeting its obligations under the National Administration Guidelines.”

Bunting said the Branch had assessed the BOT, CEO and senior management and awarded performance grades on these aspects: student education - fail; student care - fail; manageable workload - fail; staff morale - fail; and educational leadership - fail. “The fundamental problem is the lack of vision, something that only the Government can address. The Branch wants a national inquiry into the role of the School. “Finally, the Branch calls on the Minister to accept the resignations.

The new Minister has an opportunity to make his mark, to rescue students from their grim predicament, to provide adequate funding and to return a democratically elected board of trustees.

ENDS

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