Associate Minister of Education Jan Tinetti speaks to media. Photo / NZME
Rotorua principals are strongly supportive of Jan Tinetti taking up the role of Education Minister ahead of Cabinet’s reshuffle next week.
The comments come as former Minister of Education Chris Hipkins took over as Prime Minister on Wednesday after Jacinda Ardern’s surprise resignation last week.
Tinetti, a Tauranga list MP, is also the Minister of Internal Affairs, Minister for Women, and Associate Education Minister.
Before entering politics, Tinetti spent 20 years working in principal roles across four schools in Southland and Tauranga. She left her last job at Merivale School in 2017 after 11 years.
Asked to comment on speculation of her potential future roles, Tinetti said she was “confident Prime Minister Hipkins will ensure he has the right people in the right portfolios”.
Rotorua Intermediate principal Garry de Thierry said he would have “a lot of faith” in Tinetti as Education Minister.
De Thierry said Tinetti ran a “very good school in an extremely hard area” and had an in-depth understanding of the struggles schools were up against.
“When you sit and talk to her you know she is on the same page as you because she has had that experience as opposed to somebody who hasn’t been a principal. She would already know the context in which we are having our issues.”
If appointed, he would like to see Tinetti increase counselling support for primary and intermediate students who had experienced trauma.
He said students were missing out on other resources because the school employed a qualified counsellor and another full-time support staff using its operational fund.
“Our board pays counsellors, which comes out of our curriculum money, which means other students miss out on funding.”
Rotorua Girls High School principal Sarah Davis believed Tinetti would be “really fantastic” in the role.
This was because of her previous experience working in schools, and it was an added bonus she lived in the Bay of Plenty.
“The times I have dealt with Jan have been really easy because she clearly gets any of the things we talk to her about. She doesn’t come from a public sector background, she comes from an education background. I am super supportive of her.”
Westbrook School principal Colin Watkins said it would make sense for Tinetti to pick up the portfolio.
“She has a fair bit of credibility as an ex-teacher and principal.”
“We don’t always agree with Labour’s policies, but by and large I would far rather have somebody of Jan’s credentials in that role than somebody who doesn’t have a clue about education.”
Watkins also praised her approachability, saying she was always more than happy to “get her hands dirty and talk over issues with teachers and principals”.
He wanted to see the next minister address the teacher-student ratio in classrooms, saying there were “growing demands on teachers” to help students with additional learning needs.
“We need more teachers and fewer kids in each class.”
In the Western Bay of Plenty, Oropi School principal Andrew King said Tinetti was the “most logical appointment to step into [the Education Minister] role”.
He described her as a “very good listener” who understood firsthand the struggles that came with leading a school.
“She is a lovely person, she really cares and is willing to talk.”
This was important as the education sector was in a “difficult space” right now in terms of attracting and retaining principals.
“With her knowledge of the role, and how complex it is to lead a school community - she is the right person for the job.”
The person assigned the portfolio needed to be knowledgeable of changes underway in the education system - including the Tomorrow’s Schools Review - and understand challenges school communities had faced during the pandemic, he said.
As Associate Education Minister, Tinetti had done a “brilliant” job of factoring all details into decision-making and not taking a “one size fits all” approach, he said.
“I trust her. I know she considers pretty much everything that needs to be considered.
“One thing I worry about is the danger of politicians coming up with simplistic solutions to problems in the education system - but the problem is you can’t have a one size fits all solution. She gets that.”
Tauranga Special School principal Barrie Wickens said Tinetti would be “one of the best education ministers we’ve seen for many years”.
“She knows the education system very deeply. And what goes with it is compassion and she’s a great listener,” he said.
“I actually can’t see anyone else taking it up.”
Earlier this week, Prime Minister Hipkins was expected to discuss the Cabinet reshuffle with MPs before making a public announcement next week.
Hipkins said at the time that he aimed to strike a balance between drawing on experienced MPs while utilising talent from Labour’s large pool of MPs who entered Parliament in 2020.
Hipkins said he wanted to strengthen core public services such as health and education, alongside a promise to improve people’s access to housing.