Collaboration underway to resolve relief staffing admin error

Education Minister Hekia Parata today announced that the Government is working with representatives of the education sector to resolve a long-standing administrative error that has meant some schools have received more short-term relief staffing entitlement than others.

Each year schools receive an entitlement to a certain number of Full-Time Teaching Equivalents (FTTEs), depending on roll numbers. Each fortnight, schools receive a report showing how much entitlement they have used, and how much is remaining. Schools count both permanent and relief teachers against this balance, but due to an administrative error, short-term relief teachers have been counted at about half their correct rate over the past ten years.

“The error has meant the sector was boosted by around $68 million last year. This has not been shared equitably among all schools. The Government has made a commitment to keep that resource within the sector but we want to ensure it is distributed equitably amongst all schools and learners,’’ says Ms Parata.

“I am confident that the Ministry, together with considerable expertise from the education sector, will find a fair solution that focuses on raising student achievement for all our learners. In the meantime, schools can be assured that entitlements for 2012 will not change.”

The error was detected by the Ministry’s new payroll system. There has been no wrong doing on the part of any schools, and teachers have not been under or over paid.