Otago primary school principals have no plans to follow their
Auckland counterparts who have decided to halt co-operation
with the Ministry of Education on any new initiatives until
it resolves problems with the Novopay payroll system.
However, Otago Primary Principals' Association president
Brent Caldwell said the region's principals were not ruling
out similar action.
Local schools were still focusing on getting their issues
solved, and issues clearly highlighting the continuing
problems had not been successfully resolved, despite
assurances from senior officials, he said.
"The ball is firmly in the ministry's court.
"At the busiest time of the year when teachers, principals
and boards are completing National Standards reports,
assessments, making appointments, and preparing for
productions, camps, and key school events, Novopay is still
using words like 'hopefully' when referring to system updates
and changes."
Mr Caldwell said schools rightly had concerns about the hours
of work that staff were about to put into end-of-year and
start-of-year staffing arrangements which may not be
correctly dealt with.
"Support and fixed-term staff need to be sure that holiday
pay, paid in a lump sum at the end of the year, will actually
appear in their bank accounts."
He said yesterday's Ministry of Education and Talent 2
Novopay roadshow at Balmacewen to outline end-of-year and
start-of-year arrangements, answered some questions.
However, some parts of the process were still being worked
on.
"No collective response has been initiated by Otago
principals as yet, but it can't be ruled out," he said.
john.lewis@odt.co.nz
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