Amid shortages and strikes, teaching is 'a tough gig', Education Minister admits

Teaching is a "tough gig", says Education Minister Chris Hipkins, as the country faces major teaching shortages amid ongoing strikes. 

"We know that we've got a shortage,"  he said on TVNZ1's Q+A. "It's been particularly acute in primary in recent years, and in secondary school the peak shortage is due to hit in about two or three years.

"We've got work to do to get more people into teaching."

Mr Hipkins would not go as far to say it was impacting the quality of teachers in New Zealand. But one of the weaknesses in the system, he said, "is that teachers are not well supported in the bridge between teacher training and the classroom".

"It's a tough job, it's a tough gig and I don't underestimate that at all."

It comes as an estimated 50,000 primary and secondary teachers will walk off the job, once again, tomorrow. The Government's offer of $1.2 billion over four years has been rebuffed. 

"For the settlement for these collective agreements, $1.2 billion is what's on the table," Mr Hipkins said when asked if there was any additional funding available. 

"For the vast majority of teachers, that amounts to a $10,000 pay increase over two years, and that is a significant pay increase."

However, that would only apply to teachers on the top of the salary scale.

"For those on the beginning step, those pay increases are smaller but those people move up a step each year as well," Mr Hipkins said. 

Union leaders for primary and secondary teachers say further industrial action is possible if no agreement can be reached with the Government.

Host Jack Tame asked Mr Hipkins if schemes such as the tertiary fees-free policy could be redirected into teacher pay. 

Mr Hipkins said he had not heard many teachers arguing that "we should force students to borrow in order to pay for their pay increases".

"Some of those people who are getting the first year free are the teaching workforce as well. We want to reduce the cost barrier, the financial barrier to participation at every level."

Q+A is on TVNZ1 on Mondays at 9.30pm, and the episode is then available on TVNZ OnDemand and as a podcast in all the usual places.