Teacher ‘crisis’ hits
More than two thirds of Auckland’s new primary and intermediate teachers are thinking about leaving the city due to the cost of living, a new survey has found.
The survey, conducted by the primary and intermediate teachers’ union the New Zealand Educational Institute, polled more than 450 Auckland teachers with up to two years of experience.
It found that 94 per cent of male teachers under 35 were thinking about leaving or definitely leaving Auckland.
Sixty-four per cent of all the teachers surveyed had given up hope of ever owning their own home in Auckland.
Meanwhile, 40 per cent of female teachers under 30 were were putting off having children due to the high cost of living.
NZEI said the results showed the Auckland teacher shortage would soon become a ‘‘bigger disaster’’ than previously thought.
Balmoral School principal and NZEI strategist on Auckland issues Malcolm Milner said it was ‘‘beyond time for action’’ on the issue.
The union felt that teachers’ pay was too low and the cost and provision of housing was a significant factor in the shortage.
‘‘NZEI members want to know if the Government has a plan for addressing the crisis, and if so, what it is.
If the Government does not have a plan, then the question is why not? If it does, then show it to us.
‘‘This survey indicates that in the future you’re going to see even fewer teachers available, or wanting to work in Auckland than now. This will have a major impact on the quality of education for children in Auckland.’’
Ellen MacGregor-Reid, Deputy Secretary Early Learning and Student Achievement at the Ministry of Education said Auckland was experiencing ‘‘some supply pressure as a ‘mini baby-boom’ moves through the education sys- tem and the city grows.
‘‘It’s important to note the number of teachers in Auckland has also grown with 1,786 more teachers in Auckland in 2016 than in 2006 (taking the number of teachers in Auckland schools to around 21,700). Data shows that teacher retention remains generally high at both the national level and the Auckland level at over 92 per cent.’’
MacGregor-Reid said the numbers of advertised vacancies gave ‘‘some limited insight into actual demand and supply’’ and the latest advertised vacancy data for Auckland was 221 for the month of June.
‘‘The Government has put in place a $9m supply package to ensure that Auckland, along with the rest of New Zealand, has sufficient supply of quality registered teachers. In addition we are working with education leaders in Auckland and have put in place some targeted initiatives for teacher supply in Auckland.’’
But Milner said any plan needed to raise the status of teaching and the pay and conditions offered.
It was ‘‘devastating’’ to think of Auckland losing a generation of teachers because they could not afford to live in the city, he said.
Adam Tamariki, 31, who has been a teacher from Rosscommon School in Manurewa for three years, said house prices would drive him away from Auckland if they didn’t change.
‘‘I love the job, wouldn’t do anything else. But to be honest, I’ve been thinking of leaving Auckland since my first year teaching.
‘‘I knew it would be expensive when I started out but it hasn’t really got any better.’’
Recently married, Tamariki said planning a future with a family in Auckland was proving difficult.
Survey respondents reported not being able to move out of their parents’ place or considering a second job. ‘‘It’s not a passing thought, it is constant, every day worry and stress,’’ one said. A Southland family who rescued a fur seal were told to ‘‘let nature take its course’’, instead of taking it home and releasing it back to sea.
The family says the Department of Conservation could have helped.
However, DOC says the family may have been in breach of the Marine Mammals Protection Act - a potential $250,000 fine.
Tuatapere resident Dee Knapp said he was out doing a morning check for new lambs when he noticed something unusual.
‘‘I saw this little blimp in the back of the paddock.’’
Knapp called the seal Lucielle, a play on words of Lou Seal.
He took Lucielle inside his home, keeping it there from 10am until 4pm so his children could see it after school.
Lucielle had a good time investigating the family home before falling asleep on the couch, he said. ‘‘[It’s] taken quite a liking to me, but [it] does snap a bit.’’.
Knapp said he had about 10 visitors through his home on Monday to see Lucielle.
Knapp said DOC had told him that they should leave the seal alone, and to ‘‘let nature take its course’’.
‘‘But we said, we’ll do it ourselves and if they’re not going to help, we will do it for you.’’
Dee’s wife, Sandie Knapp, said when the seal was released, it would find its family.
‘‘We didn’t do it because it was cute and we wanted to cuddle it. We did it because it was the right thing.’’
When the family released Lucielle into the water, the seal swam away happily.
DOC marine species and threats science advisor Laura Boren said seals were fully protected under the Marine Mammals Protection Act.
Offences could carry heavy fines. The department had a ‘‘hands-off’’ policy for seals, and would only intervene if the animal was in obvious danger, Boren said.
‘‘Our advice is to never touch or handle a seal - they can be very aggressive if threatened.’’