Teacher's strike - teachers matter, let's reallocate some pieces of pie within education to give them what they deserve!
This Thursday the 16th March both Primary and Secondary teachers will be striking. There is no question, teachers deserve more money. Put bluntly, there is a teacher shortage, teaching has become increasingly complex and to top it off they are also the profession most at risk of contracting COVID-19 with teachers having the highest rates of infection of any occupational group. And I say all of this as a career educator 25 years in who is still very much in love with the profession. I also say all of this as someone who recognises the challenges that governments face when everyone seems to be asking for more. I recognise that the NZ Government and Ministry of Education has a limited budget and when all of the sectors go to their Ministers cap in hand we can not expect more money to be allocated to one sector at the expense of another.
Earlier today I read two posts by Paula Wine that got me thinking. You can read her excellent insights here and here. In the first post she provides a compelling case for the real value of teacher's work and in the second post she highlighted a potential contributing factor, the massive expansion of the Ministry of Education since the Tomorrow's Schools reform took place in 1989.
It was the latter post that sent me down a series of rabbit holes. As I looked more closely at how schools, teaching staff and the Department of Education / Ministry of Education has changed in the last 30 or so years I found some startling figures that potentially highlight where we may have gone wrong where when we look at how we allocate money within the education sector.
Note - If you believe any of the figures are incorrect below please let me know! It was bloody hard locating and deciphering the figures available. I have included the sources I used at the bottom of this post.
Interesting statistical fact #1
In 1989 there were 2810 schools in NZ and in 2021 there was 2536 schools in NZ. We now have fewer schools in New Zealand than we did over 30 years ago.
Interesting statistical fact #2
In 1989 we had approximately 300 staff at Department of Education managing 2810 schools. In 2021 we had 3000+ staff supporting 2536 "self- governing and self-managing schools".
Remember, post 1989 the management of schools became decentralised and also self-governing. Principals today are reminded often that the MoE cannot provide directives or direct interventions or solutions to challenges because they, the MoE, no longer manage or govern schools.
So in the period of time where the management and governance of schools has been handed over to the individual school, school leader and school board the Ministry of Education has expanded its personnel by ten-fold. And to support fewer schools than it actually directly managed prior to 1989.
Interesting statistical fact #3
In 2021 $4,673,645,000 was spent on 56,253 teachers averaging at $83,083 per annum per teacher
and $432,885,000* was spent 3000(+) personnel at MoE averaging at around $140,000 per annum per MoE employee. *based on published 'Personnel Costs' in 2022 MoE Annual Report.
So not only has the MoE expanded ten-fold the average income of MoE personnel is around 40% more than that of a teacher?
The issue is also the solution
So herein lies the issue (or should that be, the many issues) and herein also lies the potential solution. Albeit a totally oversimplified one. As far as I can see there is enough money in the pie to pay teachers what they are worth. Bureaucratic creep has seen the MoE staffing model blowout, and that figure doesn't even include the millions spent on external contractors. Schools in New Zealand are both self-managing and self-governing, this should mean that the MoE could and should be pared right back. Surely.
And knowing the number or teachers who have left the teaching for MoE, a radical downsize of our Ministry might just help solve the teaching shortage as well. And for what it's worth I calculated (based on what figures I could locate) that if you were to downsize the MoE by 75%, and only do that, you could increase the total spend on teacher salaries by 7% to match inflation.
Teaching, like many workforces is at breaking point, but unlike many sectors we do have fat within the sector. If I were the Minister of Education (or even the Minister of Finance) I'd be taking stock and contemplating something both outrageous and courageous. Now is the time to reimagine the Ministry of Education and we need to do it for the sake of teachers and ultimately the sake of our children.
Note - This is issue is NOT levelled at the current government, it is the result of a 30 year shift.
Postscript
And it's not just about the money...
And while I was at it I would look beyond the pay issue and consider the ridiculous expectations placed on school leaders and teachers trying to wade through the mire of disconnected educational changes and initiatives at the moment. I I have no doubt that the lack of any kind of cohesive strategy or singular change plan is made much much worse by the number of chefs in MoE kitchen.
Seriously, if 'Wack-a-Mole' became an Olympic sport NZ educational leaders and teachers would take out the bloody Gold! Here's my take on that particular issue.
Sources (If you have more useful stats or sources please share below!)
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