Principal criticises additional workload

Press, 26 June 1989, Page 9

Principal criticises additional workload

PA Wellington Education reform is forcing primary school principals who teach fulltime to work incredibly long hours, and as a consequence their family life is suffering. The principal of Cashmere Avenue School, Wellington, Mr Dick Sealer,- is just one of the many burdened principals.

Mr Sealer has not had a day off since Easter and his working day begins at 7 a.m.

On a good day, he can arrive home at 5.30 p.m., but burning the midnight oil is more common.

“I’m an ardent supporter of the ‘Tomorrow’s Schools’ reform,” Mr Sealer said. “But it can’t work. I’m trying to do two full-time jobs at once and I’m having great difficulty.” The 900 schools at which principals teach were given extra money this year to employ a teacher for 10 hours a week, to take pressure off principals. This assistance ends on Friday.

Mr Sealer said the relief helped, but was not enough. “There’s a week to go before the relief runs out, and we haven’t heard anything. I’m trying to get some answers, but no-one will tell me,” he said. The only thing certain for Mr Sealer was that his workload would not decrease as from next Friday. He predicted it would take two years to implement the reform and get it running smoothly enough to lessen the teaching principals’ workload to a reasonable burden. The office of the Education under-secretary, Mr Noel Scott, confirmed the relief teacher funding would end on Friday. Decisions about more funding would be made when the budget was announced on July 27. That meant teaching principals would have nearly a month without any help. Mr Sealer was grim about how he would personally cope.

“At the moment, I’m biting the bullet. I go outside and swear at a

tree then come back jn and be normal,” he said. "At present it seems to be an impossible job, so without help ...” A small sign on his office window summed up his feelings perfectly. It reads: “I’m just catching up with yesterday. By tomorrow I should be ready for today.”

He believes his class of 27 children was suffering from being taught by two teachers. It did not help continuity.

Mr Sealer started his class at 9 a.m. The relief teacher arrived at 10 a.m. and taught for two hours while Mr Sealer buried himself in school reform work.

He “snatched” lunch and kept working until 1 p.m., when he went back to his class for another two hours.

“I delegate as much as I can ... but I know my teaching performance is falling,” he said.

“The whole reason we’re here is for the kids, and they are my priority as a teacher and as a teaching principal,” Mr Sealer said.