Some primary schools could find themselves out of pocket with the Ministry of Education's recent announcement. Photo: AdobeStock by vizafoto.
<h2><span data-contrast="auto">The Ministry of Education has backtracked on its initial advice that all lump-sum payments to primary teachers from the collective agreement settlement will be centrally funded. </span><span data-ccp-props="{";201341983";:0,";335559739";:160,";335559740";:259}"> </span></h2>
<p><a href="https://www.schoolnews.co.nz/latest-print-issue/" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><strong>Read the Term 3 edition of <em>School News</em> HERE</strong></a></p>
<p><span data-contrast="auto">Last Thursday 20 July, an email was sent by Edpay, the MoE’s payroll system, stating that lump-sum payments for school-operations funded teachers (board-funded teachers) will be paid from the school’s own funds.</span><span data-ccp-props="{";201341983";:0,";335559739";:160,";335559740";:259}"> </span></p>
<p><span data-contrast="auto">Primary school principals said that the move will leave some kura with budget holes and will create resourcing issues for some. </span><span data-ccp-props="{";201341983";:0,";335559739";:160,";335559740";:259}"> </span></p>
<p><span data-contrast="auto">As part of the primary teachers’ collective agreement settlement, all primary teachers will receive $3000 with union members receiving an additional $2210. </span><span data-ccp-props="{";201341983";:0,";335559739";:160,";335559740";:259}"> </span></p>
<p><span data-contrast="auto">Schools will be liable to pay this sum for board-funded teachers depending on how they had registered their teachers on Edpay in mid-June, when the primary teachers’ collective agreement was ratified.</span><span data-ccp-props="{";201341983";:0,";335559739";:160,";335559740";:259}"> </span></p>
<p><span data-contrast="auto">Arakura School principal Tute Mila said that although she supported the payments for primary teachers, the change of advice had left many principals stunned. </span><span data-ccp-props="{";201341983";:0,";335559739";:160,";335559740";:259}"> </span></p>
<p><span data-contrast="auto">“I am already running a significant deficit in order to employ extra teachers to reduce class sizes, which to me is actually a responsibility the Government should be taking,” says Mila.</span><span data-ccp-props="{";201341983";:0,";335559739";:160,";335559740";:259}"> </span></p>
<blockquote>
<p><span data-contrast="auto">“Now I am being penalised by having to pay for part of the Ministry’s offer, which further increases my deficit. And that’s a big big deal; they&#8217;re passing the buck to schools.</span><span data-ccp-props="{";201341983";:0,";335559739";:160,";335559740";:259}"> </span></p>
</blockquote>
<p><span data-contrast="auto">“It’s unacceptable that schools and students will be impacted financially by this. There are curriculum resources for our students we cannot afford, so having to pick up the Ministry’s bill means that situation is even worse. </span><span data-ccp-props="{";201341983";:0,";335559739";:160,";335559740";:259}"> </span></p>
<p><span data-contrast="auto">“It&#8217;s great the Ministry recognises the benefits of unions and collective bargaining, but it needs to step up and pay for its own offer to primary teachers.”</span><span data-ccp-props="{";201341983";:0,";335559739";:160,";335559740";:259}"> </span></p>

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