The staff survey the Ministry of Education tried to keep secret

Tuesday, 7 October 2025

A workforce survey the Ministry of Education tried to withhold, obtained by The Post, reveals staff struggling with burnout from understaffing and a sense that 'work is being done for the sake of pleasing leadership', amid restructures and continuous change, documents show.

The survey, of the ministry’s workforce, experience and delivery team, revealed “lack of cross-functional collaboration, resulting in duplicated efforts, resistance to knowledge sharing, and inconsistent practices”, with management disconnected from the work and “overly focused on checking work”, according to an internal follow-up report.

The November 2024 survey document had themed, collated results that did not identify individual employee responses. When The Post requested the survey in July under the Official Information Act - more than half a year after it was conducted - the ministry denied the request.

While it confirmed the “stand alone” survey, it said work was ongoing and it wouldn’t be appropriate to share the results “outside the Ministry at this time”.

The themed survey result document was also withheld, the ministry said, because it concerned “personal employment matters, and there remains a risk of individuals ‘seeing themselves’ in the information”.

“The survey responses were also provided in confidence, and were not intended by the respondents to be shared more widely outside of that context.”

A spokesperson said they were unable to comment further “due to employment and privacy obligations”.

“We remain committed to transparency and will provide further information when it is appropriate and lawful to do so.”

Pressed further, the group's deputy secretary Anna Welanyk said the survey was undertaken 'to better understand staff experiences and identify areas for improvement'.

“The survey highlighted a number of challenges, including the impact of ongoing change, the need for clearer processes, and the importance of staff feeling valued, supported, and connected.”

Welanyk said the feedback was consistent with broader themes in the public service as reflected in the public service census.

‘Warts and all’ - what ministry staffers said

The contents of the survey, obtained by The Post, began with a message thanking the team “for all your heart felt responses to our first …team survey”.

The ministry workforce group appears to cover workforce supply, leadership, payroll and collective bargaining.

It said the results would be shared “warts and all” that week.

The survey revealed that more than half of those who responded did not feel valued and appreciated at work, and half did not feel safe and comfortable in their work environment.

Issues included silos and lack of collaboration, which meant staff felt “isolated within their roles”.

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Cultural issues were “a significant underlying cause of frustration”.

“Employees feel their expertise is undervalued and their well-being is overlooked amidst the constant changes and lack of clear direction,” it said. “There is a sense that work is being done for the sake of pleasing leadership rather than serving the broader mission, leading to disengagement.

“The emotional toll of restructures and continuous change is palpable, contributing to a feeling of fatigue and loss of purpose.”

Between June 2024 and March 2025, the ministry’s workforce size decreased by 500, according to Public Service Commission data, from 4387 to 3887.

There were “inconsistent processes and a lack of clear ownership”, which led to delays, or work being “poorly executed due to the uncertainty of who is responsible for what”.

It said “a lack of sufficient resources, coupled with the failure to manage workloads effectively, has led to staff burnout”.

“Employees are overwhelmed, having to take on additional tasks due to understaffing or the departure of colleagues.”

There was a “clear disconnect between the promises made during restructure and the reality of increased workloads, with no sign of relief in sight”.

“The shifting focus on new initiatives and long running structure change creates confusion, with staff unsure of how their work fits into the broader strategic vision.”

It said the uncertainty “erodes trust” and “a pervasive sense leadership is not aligned with the needs of staff”.

“Many feel that management is disconnected from the work being done and is overly focused on checking work rather than empowering staff to lead and innovate.

“Command and control leadership styles have stifled autonomy and morale, leading to frustration among employees,” it said.

“Furthermore, managers are seen as under pressure and unable to make meaningful changes, which exacerbates feelings of disempowerment.”

In July this year, Public Service Commissioner Sir Brian Roche asked every chief executive to prepare a response plan to eyebrow-raising public service survey results, after which he admitted the service had leadership issues.

In it, less than 60% believed senior leaders clearly articulated direction and priorities, three quarters thought inefficient decision making was a problem, 73% thought there were complicated or unnecessary business processes and 82% believed high work volumes and insufficient staff were hindering high performance.