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Secretarial cuts having a negative impact on schools September 21, 2005
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Opposition Leader Gerry Reid says cutbacks to secretarial hours are having a
negative impact on schools around the province and their ability to complete
administrative tasks on a daily basis.
This year, hundreds of secretarial hours have been cut from the secretarial budget of the school districts around the province. Some full-time secretaries have been reduced to part-time hours, others have had their part-time hours drastically reduced. While these people are not in the schools, work continues to pile up and administrative functions are beginning to suffer. Many principals around the province are now finding themselves having to take time from their regular duties to complete daily tasks that are normally completed by the school secretary. "It appears these cutbacks were not well-publicized by government or the school boards," said Mr. Reid. "Many parents and students are only now realizing the impact these cuts are having on classes and their access to the school. I have spoken to principals from all school districts who have expressed their concerns on what these cuts have meant for their workloads. Instead of focusing entirely on their school management roles, principals are finding themselves answering phones and completing administrative tasks. "As a former teacher, I recognize the importance of secretaries in our schools. Their role is vital in dealing with teachers, students and parents, and ensuring the efficient operation of the school. From answering phones, completing daily tasks, ordering supplies and completing budget inventories, their function is extremely valuable. "It is unfortunate that this government feels it is acceptable to continue gutting our school system. First, there was a focus on reducing teachers in the classroom, over 400 positions have been eliminated over the past two years. Now, schools have to deal with reduced hours for their secretarial support. Where will these cutbacks stop? For a government that claims to be committed to education in the province, their actions certainly demonstrate the opposite. I call upon Minister Hedderson to reverse these cutbacks and give the school boards in the province enough funding to ensure that secretarial hours are returned to their previous levels."
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