Getting below the Surface of the Principal Recruitment ‘Crisis’ in New Zealand Primary Schools

Abstract

Since 1989 in New Zealand, the work of the primary school principal has been transformed in official policy texts from that of leading professional to chief executive officer. Surveys document the changing nature of the role and the workload and other pressures that have resulted, particularly for principals with teaching responsibilities in smaller schools. There is a generally accepted crisis of preparation, recruitment, development and retention. Below the surface, however, are deeper-seated, structural difficulties: women comprise the majority of teachers, yet are a minority of principals and their career advancement is largely limited to small schools and those in poorer socioeconomic areas. This article reviews the situation and examines the reasons why dominant images of the primary school principalship may be both partial and counterproductive.

The care‐less manager: gender, care and new managerialism in higher education

“…'By the mere fact that you are looking for management experience in terms of criteria…you may, in itself, be limiting your field…There are less women with that experience so you are, by definition, excluding them' (Female assessor for Tory higher education institution). The competitive nature of higher education recruitment clearly leaves women, especially those with children and/or care responsibilities for older relatives or dependents, at a disadvantage as they will often have taken maternity or care leave, and/or career breaks, thereby disrupting their career progression and previous management experience (Brooking et al 2003, Grummell et al 2009). …”

Appointing Senior Managers in Education

“…Gender was a significant underlying factor here as women -and other carersoften lacked the same level of management experience as male candidates (DavisNetzley, 1998;Brooking et al, 2003). There is a gendered division of labour where the teaching profession is considered femininised, but this does not translate into representation at higher management levels (Gronn and Rawlings-Sanaei, 2003: 149-150).…”

Entering the Twilight Zone: The Local Complexities of Pay and Employment Equity in New Zealand

“…In primary schools women are being appointed to AP and DP positions in numbers equivalent to their proportion of total teaching staff, so it seems reasonable to assume that women are applying. At principal level, however, evidence from interviews and women's lower representation suggests that they are less likely to apply and a 2002 survey confirms this view (Brooking et al, 2003). In secondary schools the representation of women drops from 55 per cent of teaching staff to 48 per cent at management level and 29 per cent at principal level.…”