Education – South Canterbury Principals’ Association open letter to Minister of Education

The South Canterbury Principals’ Association feels compelled to express their grave concern over recent interventions by the government into education policy and procedure.

We believe that the NZ Teachers’ Council is a professional body that holds a high degree of integrity and is a robust institution pursuing aspirational goals for the development of education in New Zealand. We are alarmed that by changing the structure of this body the government is undermining that integrity and leaving teachers exposed to an interference that is potentially unprofessional and disadvantageous to the best interests of the students community that are at the centre of our work. We insist that this restructure be halted until sufficient time and consultation has taken place to allow a wider and more professional approach to be investigated.

The South Canterbury Principals’ Association is deeply alarmed by the rushed legislative changes, which strip Boards of their responsibility to manage Te Tiriti o Waitangi obligations. As a principal body we have led our school boards in this journey to provide equity of access to education for all students. We have leaned on Te Tiriti to support our actions to lift all our minority student groups’ academic performance and to increase their connectedness to their schools, their community, and to the future of New Zealand.

We implore the government to rethink this unjust legislation change which represents a retrograde step in the progress schools have made to build social equality in their communities.

The South Canterbury Principals’ Association voices their anxiety over the rash changes to the English and Maths curriculum statements and associated professional development for teachers and schools. Primary schools have worked very hard in the last 12 months to accommodate changes to English and Math curriculum areas to make sure that our students have the best access to the highest quality education we can provide. We have been thwarted along the way by irregular changes to governmental direction resulting in disequilibrium with the delivery of these curriculum statements. Schools and Principals are exhausted from moving in one direction, changing to move in another only to find that yet again we need to move in an alternative direction. We are currently pausing our attempts to keep pace with changes, and we’ll wait until there is certainty in the direction that we are moving.

We demand an immediate halt to English and Math mandates and following curriculum area changes until sufficient time and consultation has been allowed for us to make informed decisions, provide appropriate resourcing and prepare our teachers to engage in the most professional manner that they are able to. There is insufficient time to consult on the remaining curriculum areas either.

The April deadline for consultation ensures that very little real effort will be put into understanding and responding to the proposed changes to the rest of the curriculum. The rest of this year is taken up with setting up the start of the new year and then our exhausted workforce must put aside their work and rest to be truly in the right place to begin a new year. We insist that you extend this consultation period for the remainder of 2026 at least.

At a time when there is a considerable struggle to attract enthusiastic, motivated people to enter the profession we are experiencing the worst and most public teacher and principal bashing from politicians who should be more supportive of the profession. When we experience this there is a corresponding lack of interest from potentially great educators in engaging. We are also hearing conversations about great educators who are sick of the political meddling and talking about leaving the profession. In the strongest manner I can, I encourage you to review the approach Ministers take to their criticism of the teaching profession.

Yours sincerely,
Jonathan Young
Chairperson
South Canterbury Primary Principals Association

Albury School
Aoraki Mount Cook School
Arowhenua School
Baron Rural School
Beaconsfield School
Bluestone School
Cannington Primary Geraldine
Carew Peel Forest School
Fairlie Primary
Glenavy School
Gleniti School
Highfield School
Lake Tekapo School
Oceanview Heights School
Pleasant Point Primary
Primary Grantlea Downs
Sacred Heart School
School Makikihi Primary
St Andrews School
St Joseph’s School Fairlie
St Joseph’s Temuka
St Joseph’s Temuka
St Joseph’s Timaru
St Patricks Waimate
Timaru Christian School
Timaru South School
Waihao Downs School
Waihi School
Waimataitai School
Waimate Centennial School
Waimate Main School
Waituna Creek School
Winchester Rural Primary
Woodbury School.