Decile Funding Review and Staffing Pressures
NZEI is advocating transitional funding for schools hit hard by changes to their decile rating. Read our press release here.
To find out more about how decile funding words, download information here.
NZEI urges you to contact the Ministry of Education if you are facing shortfalls because of the change to your school's decile funding, as the Ministry has said it will consider schools under pressure on a case by case basis.
Cuts in funding combined with the introduction of staffing for the 1:18 ratio for new entrants and the last tranche of SRG staffing are placing additional stress on some principals. NZEI urges principals to contact their regional Ministry of Education office if they are in the situation of having to identify teaching staff for redeployment at the end of the year, but would be able to re-employ them in Term 2.
NZEI has identified some options to manage the current staffing crisis. Read our discussion paper here.
NZEI's Annual Meeting in September 2007 considered staffing priorities over the next few years. Read it here.
Teachers Council to get tough on registration
Are your teachers practising certificates or LATs current? All teachers in primary and early childhood education must hold a practising certificate and renew it every 3 years. Teaching without a certificate or a limited authority to teach is illegal, and teachers can be fined up to $2000 for an offence.
Teacher registration is strongly supported by NZEI as registration assures schools, centres, parents, whanau, and the community that a teacher is a competent and qualified professional. Read NZEI advice on teacher registration, including step-by-step advice on the actions needed by the teacher and the employer to ensure that employment remains legal.
Fixed Term Employment: The Pitfalls
Ministry of Education data and NZEI surveys indicate that 66% of provisionally registered teachers and 60% of school support staff are employed on a fixed term basis.
However, principals should be aware of the law concerning the use of fixed term employment arrangements and the consequences of unlawful fixed term employment arrangements.
To read more, read the NZEI special circular sent to all schools.
2007 Start of School Year Information
The 2007 school year matrix is now available. This includes information on legal requireand princiments and administration on the application of pay entitlements to teachers pals. The date for the start of the 2007 school year has been set as Wednesday 7 February, the day after Waitangi Day.
Surplus Staffing information
NZEI has produced information for principals dealing with surplus staffing in their schools. The special circular outlines action to be taken before the end of the 2006 school year if the school will have a surplus staffing and/or surplus salary unit situation for 2007. If your school is involved in a school reorganisation that will result in a surplus staffing situation, the entitlements for members are different. Contact your local NZEI field staff for details.
Employing provisionally registered teachers?
Read guidance from NZEI on getting it right with new teachers.
Increase in the banking staffing recovery rate - 2006 banking staffing year
The Minister of Education has approved the increase of the banking staffing recovery rate from $50,000 to $53,000 per FTTE for the recovery of overused staffing from the start of the 2006 staffing year. As overused staffing is recovered in the following year, recovery at the new rate will not happen until 2007. The change will not affect the recovery of overused 2005 staffing which will be recovered at the rate of $50,000.
You can download a Ministry paper that sets out the background to the change and provides some data re results form the 2004 banking staffing year.
See also : www.minedu.govt.nz/goto/bankingstaffingfaqs.