LARGE PAY RISES READY FOR PRIMARY TEACHERS AND PRINCIPALS

Large pay rises for primary school teachers costing more than quarter of a billion dollars are there for the taking, following the Government's final pay offer," Education Minister Wyatt Creech said today.

"The Government has made a commitment to invest $254 million over the next 2 and a half years to increase the pay rates of primary teachers to the pay levels of their secondary colleagues. "This is a huge amount of extra money. It will give primary school teachers average pay rises of 11 per cent and unify the secondary and primary teachers' pay scales," Mr Creech said. Mr Creech said in addition the Government had also unified the pay systems for primary and secondary school principals and increased their pay rates at a cost of a further $69 million over three years. Unifying the two pay systems means the pay of primary and secondary principals will be based on the number of students in a school. (This roll-based system applies in secondary schools now). In order to be eligible for these grants primary school principals are expected to be employed on the same conditions as their secondary colleagues. "Supplementary payments are discretionary and over and above base pay rates. Currently these supplementary payments only apply in secondary schools where all the principals are on individual employment contracts," Mr Creech said.

"In unifying the pay systems the Government has extended the availability of supplementary payments to those primary principals employed on the same employment conditions. "It has been the NZEI that has called for the same remuneration as their secondary colleagues." The principal of the smallest primary school principal, with fewer than fifty children, will receive a minimum of $52,000 per year with a minimum of $90,000 per year for the largest secondary schools.

On top of this principals will be eligible for the extra grants of between $620 per year for the smallest school to $10,700 for the largest schools. "Principals play a crucial role in making our schools run smoothly and ensuring that young people are getting the education they need. Term contracts give Boards the opportunity to, from time to time, review their original decision to be sure the person serving their school in this crucial role still meets that original test."

Mr Creech said a number of changes had been agreed to to improve acceptability of the fixed term contracts. For existing principals their contract won't come up for 8 years (the original proposal was 5 years), in addition the Government will seek a law change which would not require Boards to re-advertise the position when the term was up.

"The Ministry is discussing with the NZEI the operation of fixed term appointments. "The Government is seeking fixed term contracts for reasons of quality. We want schools to have the right principal in the job at all times," Mr Creech said.