The New Zealand Principals’ Federation is not an oldestablished organisation. It’s early roots trace back only to 1980, although there had been many attempts to form a national organisation for “Head Teachers” prior to that. The Auckland Headmasters’ Association was formed nearly 100 years ago – probably the oldest established local association for school leaders in the country. Their early history makes for most interesting reading – including the debates preceding the opening up of membership to women! During the 1970s, several of the Auckland principals set out to form a national association, and with missionary zeal, they sought to enroll the masses. Carloads of principals (then Head Teachers, of course) visited the Waikato, Taranaki and the Bay of Plenty, to stimulate interest in the idea of a national organisation. Initially, only a few hundred took up the challenge, and it was not until the Tomorrow’s Schools changes of the late 1980s that membership numbers at a national level began to accelerate. Not many current principals will remember Merv Wellington, a National Minister of Education of the early 80s. Although not universally admired at the time (he was, after all, a minister in the then Muldoon administration), Mr Wellington gave his blessing to the formation of a national body for principals, and endorsed its first conference. The founders of the Federation did some sterling work in bringing people together for the common cause. A federation was seen as a professional support group for principals, not a union. Nearly all NZPF members have also been NZEI or PPTA members, as those bodies deal with the issues of salary and conditions of service, while the NZPF has always strived to handle the professional issues for school leaders. Initially, there was some strong resistance from the unions to the formation of the Principals’ Federation, and it was fortuitous that one of the NZPF’s founding fathers, Tom Brown, was also a highly respected member of the NZEI, and chair of its Ethics Panel. Tom helped steer the formation of the fledgling organisation through some fairly choppy waters, and played a major part in bringing the NZPF to a reality. Other key players at the time were Ian Payne (Auckland) and Don Le Prou (Waikato). The first 20 years of the NZPF’s history “First Principals” was written by Tom Brown, and covered the period from 1980 to 2000. Tom remained archivist of the Federation for many years, and members mourned his passing in May 2016. Tom had most certainly been the “hand on the tiller” that set the direction of the Federation. He always saw it as a “Federation” and not an Association, in order that it might encompass all elements of school leadership across all sectors. His work in travelling and visiting other regions to encourage principals to be a part of this new organisation was legendary – all at his own cost and in his own time. An amazing man, and a hugely respected colleague.
Some of the early memories of those original executive members make fascinating reading. Subscriptions were set at $1 per member, and remained at that level for some years, until they rose to $2 and then $5. Executive meetings moved around the country, and members often held a raffle to provide postage stamps to send out the regular newsletters. 1989, and Tomorrow’s Schools brought massive changes to the way schools operated. Now self-managing, Boards of Trustees made their own decisions about everything the school did, and there was minimal input from the Ministry at the time. Principals immediately saw the need for a strong professional organisation that they could look to for support. Membership of the NZPF doubled, and doubled again. Membership fees were set according to the size of school, and this practice has remained. The idea of holding Executive Meetings in the regions, and cities outside Wellington, also continued, along with the practice of having one or two observers from local associations of kindred organisations. Annual conferences became “The Place To Be”, with some outstanding keynote speakers and relevant workshops. Annual attendances rose to 400, then 600+, as principals realized this was the best professional learning they could access, while spending valuable time chatting with colleagues. Communication was critical, and with the arrival of electronic media, the Federation moved with the times. While the old “fax tree” had allowed a rudimentary form of quick contact with schools, the arrival of the internet provided more instant two-way communication. The organisation could conduct “One Minute Surveys” of members on the many issues of the day, providing the president and executive with instant feedback and opinion on some of the very contentious challenges at the time (Bulk Funding, Special Needs Resourcing, Principal Stress, National Testing . . .) Tom Brown’s book “First Principals” includes many hundreds of anecdotes from principals at the time, and makes fascinating reading. And now, ten years on, it is time for an update, covering the period 2001 to 2011. The NZPF has commissioned Past President Geoff Lovegrove to carry out this assignment. Geoff served as Magazine Editor from 1989 to 1997 and 2008 to 2010, and also wrote the Federation Flyer (now Principal Matters) for many years. During his 21 years on the executive, he also served as National Treasurer for 6 years from 2002 to 2008. Any members, past or present, with any material or memories that might be relevant or useful, are invited to contact Geoff: Email: lovegrove@inspire.net.nz Phone/Text: 0274 842 665 or National Office: liz.hawes@nzpf.ac.nz We hope to publish this update early in 2018.
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