Education Minister Chris Hipkins has today announced the Government’s plan to address the teacher shortages in New Zealand schools.
Mr Hipkins said that the Government will pump $95million into supporting and training thousands of additional teachers over the next four years.
“The Government is pumping more resources into addressing the long-term challenge of teacher shortages in our schools by training or supporting 3280 additional teachers over the next four years,” Mr Hipkins said in a pre-budget announcement.
Among initiatives in today’s package, more Kiwis will be given more incentive to get into the teaching profession with scholarships contributing to the fees and living costs of students.
The 2019 Budget will fund 2480 additional trainee teacher places through:
• 1860 TeachNZ scholarships - fees and living costs for trainees studying in hard to staff subject areas.
• 300 Teach First NZ places to recruit graduates and professionals into low decile secondary schools where they teach while completing postgraduate teaching.
• 240 places in a new employment-based teacher education programme for secondary teachers.
• 80 Iwi-based scholarships.
It will also support 800 more beginning teachers into their first roles. Overall, it will support 3480 teachers.
“Our commitment towards thousands of additional teachers will be a shot in the arm to our schools. Children, parents and teachers will all benefit from the influx in teachers and the Government’s commitment to addressing the long-term issue of teacher supply,” Mr Hipkins said.
“Schools are crying out for more teachers and we are delivering. More teachers will help with the quality of teaching and education our children receive. It will improve kids’ well-being.
“We’re investing more funding in this Budget to get more teachers in front of classrooms than National managed over its entire nine years in office,” he said.
The Government is also expected to announce their Education Workforce Strategy which Mr Hipkins said has been designed by a “group of respected sector leaders.”
"This will define the unique role of the teacher and other key roles, technology and support systems likely to be required in the future, out to the year 2032," he said.
“It will also map out what career pathways are needed for the education workforce - to ensure our young people continue to have access to a world-class education, and learn the skills they need in the digital world of today and the future,” Chris Hipkins said.
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