Letter to Principals

Dear Principal

Update on Adult and Community Education

The campaign for restoration of ACE funding, seems to have really touched a nerve in communities throughout New Zealand. The media coverage has been extensive and entirely supportive. Full credit to CLASS (The Community Learning Association) for organising such an effective campaign.

We are disappointed (but not surprised) that NZSTA appears to be undermining the campaign by putting pressure on schools to close down ACE provision as soon as possible. We appreciate that principals feel, quite properly, concerned about the financial liability schools face particularly since the Ministry of Education and the TEC have been quick to distance themselves from any responsibility. (See the response from the Secretary for Education to the request from PPTA that it pick up the ACE surplus staffing costs as happens for teachers.)

PPTA is supporting the request from CLASS that schools wait at least until the 5^th of August when CLASS representatives have a meeting with the Minister before moving on redundancies. In the interim, they are encouraging schools to indicate to the TEC that they are interested in making application for the remaining 20% ACE funding. Below is the extract from The CLASS Newsletter:

TEC have asked that an email be sent by the principal to the service centre by the 31^st of July. This email is to contain the following information:

1) The intention of your school with regards to your ACE programme in 2010

2) An expression of interest in the "reinvested" 20% ACE funding

We are aware that some school boards do not meet until the end of July and/or in August.

Given this short timeframe that the TEC has imposed, we strongly urge that your response takes the following into consideration as a reply:

Our school is engaged in a process to discuss our intentions with regards to our Adult and Community Education programme in 2010.
The Minister of Education (Anne Tolley) is meeting with CLASS, a coordinator and a Principal on 5th August.
We will inform you of our intentions for 2010 by the 31^st of August 2009.

The process for signalling an interest is set out below:

Submitting an expression of interest

The process for schools seeking funding is set out below:

1. Interested schools are expected to provide an early indication to the TEC of their intention regarding 2010 funding.

2. An email to the TEC Service Centre ( This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it ) with the subject line Intention to seek ACE funding in 2010 should be sent before 31 July 2009. This email will signal whether the school is intending to seek funding or not (or that ongoing discussions are occurring for example with their Board of Trustees).

3. The TEC will be in contact with the designated person at schools that indicate they intend to seek funding in 2010 to discuss their proposed ACE programme.

Surplus Staffing

It is critical that the Adult and Community Education Collective Agreement is followed to the letter should a surplus staffing situation develop. That means correctly identifying which employment category the employee is in and what is then required in terms of consultation, notice period, re-employment or payments. Details are provided here:

Overview of surplus staffing (redundancy) provisions for employees of ACE in schools

This document also includes field officer contacts should you require further assistance. If you have any other comments or questions feel free to contact me.

Yours sincerely

Bronwyn Cross

Deputy General Secretary

This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it

04 9134222

021 74 0080

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