Workload turns teachers off head's job

By DITA DE BONI and TRUDIE McCONNOCHIE

Huge workload pressures for principals in New Zealand's 2300 primary and intermediate schools are putting senior teachers off becoming principals, leading to a scramble for suitable applicants.

And with one-quarter of the sector's principals over the age of 55, and roughly half in Auckland over 50, many of those not quitting the profession say they will be retiring early for the same reasons.

With teachers discouraged from taking on the added work and responsibility of principalship, a shortage of suitable candidates is worrying boards of trustees and educators who say the problem, especially in rural areas, is dire.

Research by Nelson-based school management adviser Mike Whittall has shown that in 10 years, 50 rural schools with rolls of varying sizes went through 159 principals.

Roughly 80 per cent of those schools with total student rolls of fewer than 50 students had six or more principals over the 10-year period. Almost 70 per cent of the principals who left those rural posts did not return to principals' positions and half left the education system altogether.

Burnout, lack of career path and disillusionment with the management aspects of the job were cited as the main reasons for leaving.

Urban principals say that while they are more likely to have administrative help, they are also swamped with paper work, meetings and other responsibilities. It is understood matters such as Occupational Safety and Health requirements for outdoor equipment and pools, and Education Ministry surveys are some of the main causes of extra stress.

Colin Andrews, principal of Kowhai Intermediate in Mt Eden, Auckland, says he often clocks up to 60 hours a week.

A principal of a 150-pupil rural school earns around $70,000. Heads of larger city schools can make up to $107,000.

Jenny Earle, president of the New Zealand Principals Federation, which represents all primary and intermediate heads, says senior teachers are "not interested in taking over principalships, and boards of trustees are having a very hard time filling positions".

"We have heard of boards receiving as few as eight applications for [the role of] principal, not all of them suitable. Ideally for such an important job you'd like to have at least 20 good candidates."

Woodlands School principal Shaun Gielen, who is chairman of the Opotiki Principals Association, said the increased administrative workload and demands of a rural community have been putting principals under serious pressure.

"The school is the hub of the wheel in the community, and you're the centre of the hub ... At the end of the day if you haven't got good personnel skills, a head for figures and aren't a visionary you're going to come unstuck because of the expectations."

Mr Gielen, 29, said the isolation of rural communities meant their schools could attract only first-time principals who did not realise what they were getting into.

The principal of one small Waikato school he knew of was not even registered as a teacher, so required a tutor teacher, which was "indicative of the climate out there".

Mr Gielen said he enjoyed his job but had no plans to stay. His last job was principal of two-teacher Rangitoto School in Te Kuiti, which had a similar level of principal turnover.

Rangitoto School board chairman Ian McGillivray said the school's failure to hold on to principals was largely because they moved up the career ladder.

While it was frustrating to be constantly searching for a principal, it was beneficial to have career-driven principals, even for a short time, as they were often of a higher calibre than those "just there because it's a job".

The ministry has started running courses for first-time principals.

David Eddy, director of the first-time principals programme run by Auckland University, says the overwhelming message he hears from the new principals is that the workload is staggering.

"The norm is to work around 70 hours a week and through the holidays. The job is more complex than it used to be."