The Government has announced a suite of measures in a bid to address teacher supply issues and improve student learning achievement after two and a half years of Covid-19 disruption to the sector.
"This Government has invested heavily in teacher supply initiatives both here in Aotearoa New Zealand, and through recruiting overseas," Associate Education Minister Jan Tinetti said in a media release today.
"By investing a further $24m in these initiatives, we plan to deliver close to 1000 additional teachers – we expect to recruit approximately 700 internationally and 300 domestically."
The Government has invested $135 million in teacher recruitment since December 2017.
Tinetti said while overseas trained teachers are the quickest answer to getting experienced teachers into New Zealand schools, the long-term goal is to boost the number of domestically trained teachers.
The announcement is largely based on extending initiatives already on offer.
The Overseas Relocation Grant is being increased from $5000 to $10,000 and extended so all teachers in schools, kura and eligible early learning services can access the fund.
The Overseas Finders Fee paid to learning institutes to help with international recruitment costs is being extended too and international qualification assessment fees for migrant teachers will be waived.
Domestically, the number of scholarships for people changing career to become a teacher will increase from 85 to 185 and, the number of grants for teachers to stay in hard to staff schools is doubling from 65 to 135.
The Initial Teacher Education Scheme will offer 100 funded places for student teachers to train at schools and study remotely.
The Post Primary Teachers' Association president Melanie Webber said it's good the Government acknowledges the teacher shortage and is trying to address it, but has concerns about the extra support that will be required to help overseas teachers adapt to New Zealand's assessment system and understand Te Ao Māori.
A May survey by the union showed a third of secondary schools had teachers covering subjects they weren't specialised to teach as suitable staff could not be found.
"It's going to take more than an advertising campaign to encourage people to become teachers.
"We need to ensure they have the pay and conditions to stay," Webber said.
In response, the Associate Education Minister said negotiations over teachers' pay and conditions are currently taking place.
"It is work that we are really passionate about - I still believe it's the best profession in the world.
"We need to support our teachers," she said.
Former secondary school teacher Erin Macdonald said the Government's focus on recruitment is frustrating.
"It's about bringing more teachers in but where are you going to get these teachers from?
Macdonald stopped teaching science, food and nutrition and Te Reo Māori this year after 15 years in the profession due a loss of passion for the job and burnout.
"I'm a teacher who could easily fill one of those positions... in the current climate I'm not willing to put myself back into the classroom," she said.
Macdonald said teachers need time to be able to work with students, support them and create lessons for them.
"To make me switch back to being a teacher, I'd have to see a real switch in the workload that is expected of the teacher."
She said since leaving the profession, friends and family have noticed how her behaviour and attitude has changed.
"I've realised exactly how much of my time and energy went into being a teacher... I didn't really realise what I was giving up in order to be the teacher that I was," Macdonald said.
Associate Education Minister Jan Tinetti also announced nearly $20 million will be spent on tutoring, additional teaching, mentoring and workshops to help Year 7 to Year 13 students in communities most affected by the disruption of Covid-19.
In a speech, Tinetti said it's widely reported that many students have not achieved the learning progress they normally would.
Distance-learning based Te Aho o Te Kura will offer 500 more places for this summer to help students achieve NCEA credits.
Community-led programmes will be expanded or restarted next term to help Māori and Pasifika students gain credits at a cost of $2 million.
Lastly, the Ministry of Education will purchase tutoring or other support measures for students that are non-enrolled or at risk of disengagement to help them get their learning on track.
Papatoetoe High School principal Vaughan Couillault is pleased about the extra funding.
"Always pleased to see support where historical disadvantage has been experienced, so anything we can do to level the playing field of those that need that little bit of extra help is welcome news."
He said funding will be used to upscale tutorials and workshops that already take place at the school.
"We know that there's a number of university students that used to be students here that might want to help tutor, there might be just people looking for part time jobs, you know we'll be throwing the net as far and wide as we can to get the right people in front of the kids and help them out."
Off the back of Covid-19 lockdowns, this year has brought new challenges for student learning, he said.
"They've had to isolate because they've been sick, parents have been unwell, so they've had to isolate, teachers have had to isolate.... the disruption in terms of the continuity of learning has been quite significant this year so just not having that sort of regular adult delivering a consistent message through the classes has been really disruptive this year."
He said at this point of the year, most students are significantly behind where students in 2018 would have been when it comes to learning progress and achievement.
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