Post Primary Teachers Association Chairman Jack Boyle says his organisation intends to approach upcoming teacher pay negotiations in "good faith" - and trusts the government will do the same.
The PPTA's 17,500 members are seeking a 15 per cent pay increase for the first year of teaching and additional increases of 3.8 per cent for each additional year.
The government, however, has told teachers that such increases are unlikely, as it cannot undo nine years of underfunding in just one year.
Speaking this morning to TVNZ 1's Breakfast programme, Mr Boyle said increasing accommodation costs in several regions were one factor pushing teachers out of the industry.
He said schools have been saying for years that they are unable to find teachers, and were not believed by the previous government.
"We can't get teachers in front of classrooms which is having a negative effect on learners," Mr Boyle said.
There is also a problem with teachers bogged down in bureaucracy, Mr Boyle said.
Teachers are asking for a significant increase right as nurses are, she said, and while some money has been budgeted for, there will need to be tough talks.
"If we're spending all of our time on assessing and filling in paper, that's going to affect the amount of time spent teaching," he said.
Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern has previously said that increased funding for teachers has been budgeted for, but would not reveal exactly how much was budgeted.
Ms Ardern told Breakfast this morning that there has already been a "significant" increase in funding for the education sector, and that the government is facing "a lot of competing pay rounds" with nurses seeking "very particular" pay increases, as well as police.
"I know that expectations are significant," she said.
Ms Ardern said she was well aware of the pressure put on teachers, specifically around workload, and that she and the government will enter the negotiations with good faith.
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