Rural principals cite workload, pay as reasons to quit - survey

Rural schools generally have fewer than 150 students, and rural principals are required to teach as well as lead. Photo / 123RF

By RNZ

A significant number of rural principals intend to leave the job within a few years of starting, according to an NZ Rural Schools Association survey.

Of the 230 principals who responded to the survey, 50% said they would quit the role within four years of taking it up.

The reasons given were remuneration, the issues that come with being in an isolated community and bigger workloads.

All those who responded said they had to teach additional hours in the classroom, above what was required.

Association president Andrew King said the message was clear, with 36% of school boards struggling to fill principal roles.

King said rural roles were complex, as principals in schools with fewer than 100 students had teaching and leadership requirements.

Rural schools generally have 150 students or fewer.

“Basically, they’re doing two jobs” he said.

“You’ve still got the same number of management and leadership responsibilities to undertake, even though you’ve got fewer students.

“Remuneration is less in a smaller school ... most of which tend to be rural schools.

“Adding to that is you have to be very, very isolated to receive what’s called an isolation allowance, which is all of about $1000.”

The age of the workforce was an issue: only 11% of rural principals are under 40, while 57% are over 50.

King said 60% of rural schools had high leadership turnover, with two or more principals in the past six years.

“Frighteningly, 35% (of the 60%) have had three or more principals in the past six years, which is not good for the long-term approach to the workforce and servicing of the rural school”.

For stability, principals need to be in the role for at least five to seven years, he said.

These results did not mean rural children were not getting quality education, but “the issue is consistency of curriculum delivery”.

There are times when children have an unqualified teacher while replacements are being sought and classes sometimes get split to cope with teacher shortages.

King said fixes included putting renewed effort into telling people that the teaching profession was amazing and rewarding and it needed to be valued.

And rural service must be seen as an advantage to career progression, as it was in the 1980s and 1990s.

“We need to get that messaging out there, that it’s actually a good thing to start in a small rural school, your principalship journey.

Boards of trustees need to hear the message when recruiting in larger schools that a principalship in a small school is just as valuable, if not more so than a deputy principal role in a bigger school.

The survey results have been sent to Education Minister Erica Stanford and the Ministry of Education.

- RNZ