The Government will train and recruit 1500 new teachers over the next four years, as it plans to spend $53 million to “attract, train and retain” the teaching workforce.
Education Minister Erica Stanford made the pre-Budget announcement on Q+A this morning, saying it would be a “major investment in teacher supply”.
The $53 million spent over four years would result in just under 400 new teachers a year.
Stanford said: “We are being proactive in addressing the forecast future need for teachers, with recent estimates showing up to 680 more secondary teachers could be needed within the next three years.
“Today’s investment in training, recruitment and development will help us to meet that demand by growing the domestic and overseas pipeline of teachers.”
However, Labour’s education spokesperson Jan Tinetti contends the former government had a record of training up more teachers in less time.
The Government will be spending over $50 million in the next four years to grow New Zealand’s teaching workforce.
Stanford continued today: “We have also listened to principals and teachers who have constantly stressed the importance of new trainees spending more time in the classroom with experienced mentors.
“A recent Education Review Office report found that teachers who spent two days or more in the classroom per week as part of their training were more prepared to enter the workforce.”
According to Stanford’s office, the $53 million in funding would be used to:
- offer 1200 School Onsite Training Programme (SOTP) places for aspiring teachers to train in the classroom. Funding is for four years and expands the programme to include primary and intermediate as well as secondary.
- Support 300 teachers to relocate to New Zealand by extending the funding for Overseas Relocation Grants.
- Fund 425 Overseas Finders Fees packages for schools to assist with the costs of recruiting overseas teachers.
- Fund 130 places per year in the BeTTER Jobs Programme that matches beginning and returning teachers to selected schools facing recruitment or retention challenges.
- Fund 670 Study Awards and support grants for current teachers offered each year to reflect current teacher salary rates for professional learning and development.
- provide a $20,000 package per placement to make it easier for School Onsite Training Programme teachers to train by providing a stipend toward their living and training expenses and a tuition fees contribution. Schools will also receive a costs contribution for each trainee teacher they work with.
Labour responds
Labour education spokesperson and former education minister Jan Tinetti said the Government wasn’t going as far as it could.
“Continuing the previous Labour Government’s work on teacher training and bringing more teachers into New Zealand is a good thing,” she said in a media release.
“In Government, we added more than 1300 teachers in just over 12 months, Erica Stanford’s plan to grow the amount by 1500 over four times as long will go nowhere near as far.
“It’s a shame the Government is picking and choosing education targets based on what they see as easiest to achieve and is refusing to commit to a target on ending New Zealand’s teacher shortage.
“Currently, there are over 80 pathways to becoming a teacher in New Zealand, today’s announcement also does nothing to ensure consistency across teacher education programmes to build better outcomes.”
Govt institutes raft of education changes
The National-led Government has implemented a raft of changes to schools since it took office six months ago. Cell phones have been banned, while new expectations to teach an hour of reading, writing, and maths in primary and intermediate are being rolled out.
There are some exemptions for health, learning support or special circumstances.
The policies were pledged on the election campaign trail last year.
Additionally, the Government has said it will overhaul how children learn to read and write with a move to teaching structured literacy.
Stanford said today: “Our Government is committed to better public services.
“These initiatives provide much-needed support and stability of funding for these critical frontline positions.
“With this significant investment in our teachers, a knowledge-rich curriculum, investment of $67 million over four years into structured literacy, and a focus on teaching the basics brilliantly, this coalition Government will lift student achievement to ensure all Kiwi kids can reach their full potential.”