Ministry of Education’s savings programme
In response to the Government’s savings requirements, the Ministry of Education has been identifying ways to achieve these savings.
Update 2 May 2024
An update on the Ministry’s savings programme was provided to Ministry staff on 2 May 2024. A copy of the Secretary for Education’s message is provided below.
Kia ora koutou
Today, consultation on change proposals has started for our teams in Te Pou Rangatōpū | Corporate, and the Digital and Business Services groups in Te Pou Hanganga, Matihiko. This follows proposals made last week for Te Pou Ohumahi Mātauranga | Education Workforce, and Te Pou Tuarongo | Māori Education, and means that all of our groups have now been advised of proposals, or decisions, for their teams.
To date, Hautū have only been sharing their change proposal documents within their groups or with other groups whose proposals are closely linked to theirs. However, given the interest from staff in understanding proposals relating to their colleagues, we will be publishing these consultation documents on our internal Te Tāhuhu site tomorrow.
We have also had interest in these proposal documents from external parties; Decision documents will be released publicly once all final decisions have been made and shared with our people. This is because the proposals are subject to consultation with the people who they could affect.
Overall, there is a proposed reduction of 755 FTE positions across the Ministry, with 316 of these roles currently vacant.
I know the magnitude of these proposed changes is significant, and I again acknowledge the very real impacts they have for you and your families. Please continue to seek the support you need and take care of each other.
Ngā mihi nui
Iona
Update 17 April 2024
An update on the Ministry’s savings programme was provided to Ministry staff on 17 April 2024. A copy of the Secretary for Education’s message is provided below.
Kia ora koutou
Today our Te Mahau Hautū have started consultation with their groups on change proposals, as part of the savings requirements.
As you know, teams across the Ministry are at different points in these processes; Te Pou Kaupapahere | Policy and our Property team in Te Pou Hanganga, Matihiko have recently finished their consultation processes and the feedback provided through those is under consideration. Proposals for other groups are still to be released, and Hautū will be keeping their teams informed.
I do not underestimate how upsetting and unsettling these processes are. Not only for the people whose roles may be affected, but also for their colleagues, friends and whānau. More than ever, please look after yourselves and each other, and be kind and generous with one another.
You will be aware that there is a lot of media interest in how Agencies are proposing to meet their savings requirements. To date, our approach has been not to release any details relating to the potential impact on jobs, because these are still proposals and they are subject to change. However, the risk is growing that the vacuum this leaves will be filled by misinformation. Because of this, we will be updating the information we share publicly to say that the Ministry change proposals that have been released to date propose an overall reduction of 565 FTE positions, with 225 of these roles currently vacant.
I know that this is a difficult and uncertain time. Please seek the support that you need, including making use of the resources available through our Support for staff Intranet page.
Nāku noa, nā,
Iona
Update 27 February 2024
A copy of the Secretary for Education's 27 February 2024 message to Ministry staff is provided below.
Tēnā koutou katoa,
As you know, the Ministry of Education, along with all of the public service, is required to meet the Government’s savings targets.
We have been identifying ways we can achieve these savings and become a more efficient and effective organisation.
This morning I informed our staff unions that, unfortunately, this will result in a reduction in our Ministry workforce. We will need to reduce our work in some areas and remove as much duplication as we can across our functions. We will also continue to reduce our spend on contractors and consultants and travel and meetings.
There will be changes proposed to roles in business groups, and your Hautū will be providing further information soon about what this means for your group. Each Hautū will lead their own change process. It is important to note that the scope and timing of these processes will be different for each group, owing to the varying contexts and complexities, and different matters that need to be taken into account.
People whose roles may be impacted by proposed changes will be engaged with, and able to provide feedback through a consultation process, along with their representatives. Your input on these proposals is important and I encourage you to provide feedback.
These proposed changes will be in addition to our current recruitment pause, which will remain in place for the foreseeable future. As a reminder, recruitment for specified frontline delivery roles is continuing as normal, while other critical appointments are being considered on a case-by-case basis.
Over and above meeting the savings targets, we will continue to seek efficiencies and improve the effectiveness of our departmental and non-departmental spend.
I acknowledge that change and uncertainty can be unsettling and I encourage you to seek support as needed. You can find more information on our savings programme page on Te Tāhuhu. We will keep you updated. Your Hautū will be in touch soon to provide more information and next steps.
Nāku noa, nā,
Iona
More information
More information can be found in our frequently asked questions document.
Frequently asked questions [PDF, 247 KB]
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