6 November 2012
Immediate Release
Auckland Principal Leaders Support Plan To Halt Cooperation With Ministry
NZEI Te Riu Roa principal leaders in Auckland endorse and support the Auckland Primary Principal Association's bold
decision to ask principals to halt cooperation with the Ministry of Education on any new initiatives until it resolves
problems with the Novopay payroll system.
Auckland Area Council principals' reference group members Malcolm Milner and Frances Nelson say principals want to
prioritise their key job of leading teaching and learning.
"Because of the hours spent on the Novopay shambles, we must prioritise work that is about directly supporting student
learning, not take on more new compliance issues around National Standards, for example."
They say the ongoing debacle of Novopay, following the back-down on class sizes and major errors in Christchurch school
closure and merger decisions, mean principals have no confidence in the Ministry's track record.
"Questions must be raised about the quality of leadership from the top when there has been such a stream of poor policy
and implementation," they say.
"Decision-making by Government and the Ministry needs to involve the sector if it is to be robust and sustainable."
ENDS