Acknowledgement Of The Role Of School Leadship

Media Release May 13, 2009
From NZEI Te Riu Roa For immediate use

Welcome Acknowledgement Of The Role Of School Leadership

Moves to bolster the numbers and training for principals and school leaders is a welcome acknowledgement of the important role they play in our schools, says the education sector union NZEI Te Riu Roa.

The government has announced a Professional Leadership Plan to attract, develop and support talented leaders over the next two years. It will focus on hard to staff schools and on upskilling Maori and Pasifika teachers. It will offer training and professional development to both current and aspiring principals.

NZEI says the principal workforce is ageing and there have been clear gaps in leadership and succession planning. Research by the Council for Educational Research last year also showed that school principals needed better support and career development opportunities, to stop them leaving the profession.

NZEI President Frances Nelson says it is good to see the government acknowledging the importance of leadership in the education sector and the need to better support it.

“Providing professional development opportunities and added support will benefit not only principals and aspiring leaders but children and school communities as well. There are clear links between strong school leadership, effective teaching and learning, and student achievement levels,” she says.

Principals also face major issues with workload and Frances Nelson says identifying and training future school leaders may help ease some of that pressure.

“The benefit of this programme is that it will have a flow-down effect and give schools and the profession a greater depth of leadership to draw on.”

ENDS

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