Jordan Williams: Taxpayers' Union Executive Director on the optics of Kiwi principals taking a five-day leadership trip to Fiji

School principals have taken togs and snorkels along for a five-day leadership trip in Fiji.

It's one of many to hit the market since principals got a $6,000 salary boost for professional development and wellbeing.

It's prompted debate on whether they're valuable for leadership - or an opportunity to have a taxpayer-funded overseas holiday.

The Taxpayers Union's Jordan Williams says it's not a good look.

"It's two easy mornings of actual professional development, and the rest is sitting next to your private pool."

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Episode Transcript

Speaker 1 (00:00):
So we learned earlier today that right now eighty New
Zealand Principles are at the Fiji Hilton paid for you,
paid for by you, the taxpayer. You might recall, as
part of their collective agreement, the Principles were given six
thousand dollars each for professional leadership development. That's obviously what
they're spending. The money on the course costs seven hundred dollars.
The cost of the flights and anything else would be
covered by the school. Jordan Williams is from the Taxpayer's

(00:22):
Union with us. Now, hey, Jordan, good, evening, Heather good,
look for the Principles.

Speaker 2 (00:26):
No, it's not. There's a technical term and education for
what a trip like this is called. And it's a
piss take. You go to Fiji, you got five days
there and you have to sit just thirteen hours in
between your pennicoladas, six of which are going and volunteering
at a school. So basically it's too easy morning of

(00:50):
actual professional development and the rest is you're sitting next
to your private pool.

Speaker 1 (00:56):
Is there a better way for us to do this?
I mean, should we be asking the Principles or requiring
the Principles to spend this money on courses that have
been accredited and are actually up to our standards.

Speaker 2 (01:07):
Well well obviously, and you know the there's always a
suspicion that some school principles run rings around the boards,
and I put you that this would be one of them.
If I put to my board or my cham and
that you know, I want to go to Fiji for
five days to do what amounts to what's seven hours

(01:29):
of professional development? You know, I'd rightly be laughed at.
You know that you can stand for professional development and yes, absolutely,
but you look at even the way that this is marketed.
It's very clearly, you know, taking the proverbial you've got,
you know, the focus isn't on education, it's on well
being of the principal's ie. It's a holiday. They basically

(01:51):
say it, and they defend the fact that it is
not in the school holidays because you'd think if your
principle and you have to go away for a week
to do some professional development, that you do it in
the holidays. But the course provider says, no, no, no,
you know, school holidays are for relaxing and principles go
on holiday here. That's why it has to be during
school too. It's nuts. It's a joke.

Speaker 1 (02:14):
Not taking an issue with the idea behind it being
professional development, just the fact that this is such a
loose system that it can basically be spent on a holiday.

Speaker 2 (02:21):
Yeah, well it is. I mean the whole thing is
marketed around effectively being a holiday and it's not. You
know that they specifically say this is about well being
and your well being that is sitting next to a
pool with a pinicolada, and anyone who looks into this course,
you know it's very clear that's what it is. And
the question comes back to why haven't the boards looked

(02:44):
at this course? So when the principal asks, presuming they
have in advance, of course the thing come on, But
you get a grip. We taxpayers didn't fork out the
extra six grand for professional development for you to go
for a holiday and Fiji.

Speaker 1 (03:00):
Right, Jordan, Thank you very much appreciated, Jordan Williams, Taxpayers Union.

Speaker 2 (03:04):
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