Otago Primary Principals' Association chairman Chris McKinlay said while principals were delighted with the teachers' decision, they were disappointed the offer to the principals' collective remained unchanged from a previously rejected offer.
Primary principals around the country voted to reject a settlement.
Education Minister Chris Hipkins yesterday said primary principals had turned down a good deal. The Government was happy to reconfigure its offer but it would have to stay within its current value of $64million over three years.
Mr McKinlay said the Government had acknowledged in its accord that a unified pay scale was desirable and important, and it would be addressed later.
''To acknowledge it is important is one step, but to say it is a matter for later - when is later? Is that three years from now?
''Principals need more certainty than that.''
Southland Primary Principals' Association president Wendy Ryan said the present pay scale was not attracting teachers to principalships, particularly in small rural schools.
She said a deputy principal working at a large urban school could earn more than a principal at a smaller school.
''In Otago and Southland we've got a lot of one-, two- and three-teacher schools.
''The question would be, why would I be a principal in a small country school, be isolated, have all the work of a principal and teach as well, when I could be paid more to work in a city school as a deputy principal, be released from teaching to do work around the school, and not have the responsibility of a principal.
''One principal told me last week that she had taken a $16,000 pay cut to become a principal.''
New Zealand Educational Institute (NZEI) president Lynda Stuart said the proposed teachers' settlement was ''a big win''.
The union secured pay parity through a unified teacher pay scale, won a significant pay increase, addressed longstanding barriers to pay progression for teachers with different qualifications, won eight teacher-only days and a reduction in ``burdensome'' appraisal requirements, and the Government had agreed to work on outstanding issues of wellbeing and workload.
The new agreement comes into effect on July 1.
However, Ms Stuart said the Government had not offered primary principals parity with their secondary counterparts.
``That clearly isn't fair, so they have voted to fight on for a better offer.''
Ministry of Education secretary for education Iona Holsted welcomed the primary teachers' result, but was disappointed primary principals had rejected the ``substantial offer'' made to them.
``In rejecting the offer, over 1900 primary principals have walked away from an immediate $1500 payment and pay rises on July 1 of up to 13% for over 500 principals.
``These principals are in our smaller schools of fewer than 100 students.
``Principals in these schools would have moved to a minimum salary of $102,898 after three years - an extra $15,000.''
She said pay parity between primary and secondary principals was much more complex than between teachers.
``Under the accord, we have already agreed to discuss the extent to which pay parity might be applied to principals.
``We remain available to meet with NZEI to discuss how the offer could be repackaged within the existing envelope for primary principals.''
The NZEI was also keen to return to the negotiating table.
Rejected
What primary principals turned down. —
, A principal of a small school (about 10 pupils) would have moved to a salary of $91,504 on July 1. After three years, they would receive a minimum salary of $102,898.
, A principal of a mid-size school (about 220 pupils) would have moved to a salary of $122,104 on July 1. After three years, they would receive a minimum salary of $132,376.
, A principal of a large school (about 600 pupils) would have moved to a salary of $138,639 on July 1. After three years, they would receive a minimum salary of $149,458.
, Extra allowances may also be available for many principals
Source: Ministry of Education
