Primary and area school principals in New Zealand have voted for a work ban. This means they will stop doing some of their usual work until their concerns are addressed.
The work ban will start on the first day of term 2 on April 24. They want the Ministry of Education to make a better offer that addresses their ongoing concerns.
Lynda Stuart, the negotiation lead for primary principals, said that the government hasn’t been listening to their concerns. “The results of the vote tell you what you need to know; our members have had enough,” she said.
So what does this work ban mean? It includes stopping work related to the Ministry of Education, such as implementing new initiatives like the curriculum refresh and information collection. It also means that principals won’t work on weekends or outside the weekday hours of 8am to 5pm.
However, there are some things that the strike does not include. For example, principals will still attend weekday board meetings and liaise with learning support specialist staff and property staff. They will also continue with the rollout of the new Aotearoa New Zealand history curriculum.
It’s important to remember that principals are taking this action because they want the Ministry of Education to listen to their concerns and make changes to improve the education system for everyone.
