Ministerial Taskforce on Secondary Teacher Remuneration

Terms of Reference - March 2003

The Purpose of the Taskforce

The PPTA and the Secretary for Education agreed, in the Terms of Settlement of the Secondary Teachers' Collective Agreement 2002-2004 (STCA), to a Ministerial Taskforce to examine and report on a number of issues related to secondary teachers' remuneration which had been raised but not fully explored or addressed during the negotiations and settlement of the STCA.

Specifically; "The Minister of Education shall convene a task force to examine and report on secondary teachers' remuneration. This task force will reviw and report on how the government can address wage paths, and the impact on the remuneration of workload, supply, demand, curriculum delivery, qualifications and other directly related issues that arise."

It is intended that information from the process and report will inform the preparation of, but not pre-empt, the next bargaining round which will commence prior to the expiry of the STCA on 30 June 2004, in addition to supporting policy work. The focus should be on principles and design of the remuneration system, rather than the quantum of funding. While the taskforce will not be concerned with the overall quantum of funding, it should consider the best way for the Government to direct its funds to achieve its objectives. 

The final report will be completed by 31 October 2003.

Objective

The objective is to have a supply of high quality, appropriately qualified secondary teachers in state and integrated schools who will improve the learning outcomes for all students.

The task force will develop a strategic, longer term, perspective on the issues facing the teacher sector over the next decade. The task force will explore the issue of teachers investing in, and build their capability as highly effective teachers and how this should be recognised through qualifications and career paths. The taskforce will consider the effectiveness of the existing system for remunerating secondary teachers to enable boards of trustees to recruit and retain highly effective teachers.

Key deliverables

The task force will provide:

• a project plan setting out key steps, milestones and expected completion dates
• regular progress reports, and
• a completed report to the Minister of Education by 31 October that identifies a staged approach to addressing any of the issues identified over the short, medium and longer term.

Membership

The task force will comprise the following members:

• Chairperson
• two representatives from the PPTA
• one secondary school principal
• one representative of School Trustees, 
• two representatives from the Ministry of Education, and
• secretariat support.

Also, the task force will call on a technical adviser to provide information and advice, and to scope any research or analytical work the Working Party deems useful to their deliberations.

Scope of the work

The task force work and report will:

• develop an understanding of the desired characteristics of the secondary teaching workforce and teachers development and career paths, taking account of developments in learning and the curriculum, the needs of students and schools, and wider developments in the labour market.
• identify the key principles, objectives and criteria of an effective remuneration system which will ensure an adequate supply of high quality secondary teachers, including middle management;
• research the characteristics and trends in remuneration systems used for other groups of professionals and knowledge workers including the contextual factors influencing these systems;
• provide an analysis of the current system of remunerating secondary teachers against the key principles, objectives and criteria;
• identify any significant aspects of the current system that could be improved, and the effects these weaknesses or limitations have on the recruitment, retention and motivation of secondary teachers;
• examine the nature of the issues affecting the recruitment and retention of teachers into middle management positions and possible measures to address these issues;
• explore the issue of supporting the ongoing professional development of the teacher;
• explore and advise on the development of, and access to, career pathways;
• consider non-salary remuneration mechanisms which might be applied to the secondary sector; 
• identify any fiscal, industrial, school management or other implications that may arise from these recommendations, including the impact on other public sector labour markets.

The report will also comment on:

• how the remuneration system for secondary teachers could be more responsive to labour market conditions;
• how to ensure the remuneration system recognizes and retains highly effective secondary teachers;
• how to ensure the salary and non-salary remuneration system encourages teachers to focus on on-going improvements in their teaching skills and achievements.
• The Alternative Dispute resolution Panel set up to provide recommendations for settlement of the STCA recommended further issues to be explored or reviewed by the taskforce including:
• review the experience of pay bargaining in the secondary sector over the past decade for the purpose of assessing whether changes should be made to the pay fixing process to facilitate a speedy and non-disruptive resolution of disputes
• review the basis for fixing the salary of teachers in specialist subjects or curriculum areas who have current G3 equivalence but do not possess level 7 qualifications, and for whom a level 7 qualification may not be either relevant or available to them
• review the basis for fixing the remuneration of He Tohu Matauranga Maori teachers
• explore the desirability of including exit provisions for secondary teachers in the collective agreement to provide options for teachers who have become burnt out and who wish to leave the service
• review the workload of Heads of Departments (HODs) for the purpose of developing strategies directed at ensuring that schools have adequate numbers of highly qualified HODs in the foreseeable future
• review the possibility of creating incentives to encourage accelerated re-payment of student loans and retirement savings.

Process

• Engage with teachers directly to obtain their views and consider the evidence and information that teachers can offer
• Consult with relevant parties including principals and boards
• Collate and analyse existing data and research
• Seek out (without travel) any overseas information on developments and trends in secondary teacher remuneration, career paths, recruitment and retention and other related issues
• Recommend research to address gaps in information.