$9.5m to assist teacher supply
Education Minister Chris Hipkins has announced a $9.5 million teacher supply package that includes extending an existing scheme to more Auckland teachers to help ease recruitment issues.
However, the initial plan under the previous government to extend the Voluntary Bonding Scheme (VBS) $17,500 grant to all Auckland schools has been slashed, and those Auckland teachers who do receive it will only get a grant of $10,500.
Former education minister Nikki Kaye had planned to expand the VBS to all state and state integrated schools in Auckland effective from next year but Hipkins revealed last month the money for it had never been budgeted.
That meant Hipkins was left with a $37.5 million ‘‘funding hole’’ and no money available in ministry baselines to fill the gap.
Instead, Hipkins has extended the scheme to beginning teachers in decile 2 and 3 Auckland schools currently the bonus only applies in decile 1 and isolated schools.
The Post-Primary Teachers’ Association has welcomed the move to address the teacher shortage in secondary schools.
‘‘The extent of the problem is so large that we believe it will take a lot more than this package to make sure there are the right number of secondary teachers with the appropriate subject specialties in front of New Zealand children every day,’’ president Jack Boyle said.
NZEI, the country’s largest teacher union, said the supply package was a start but more needed to be done to keep teachers in the profession.
‘‘An NZEI principal survey released this week showed that one in five Auckland schools expect to be at least one teacher short next year and another 27 per cent still don’t know whether they will have enough teachers,’’ said president Lynda Stuart.
The new funding, which has been approved by Cabinet, will support more graduates into permanent teaching positions, support experienced teachers back into the profession and recruit new graduates into teaching.
‘‘Principals have been telling the Government for many months they are desperately trying to plug a major shortage of teachers in locations such as Auckland and in subjects including science, te reo Ma¯ ori, technology and maths,’’ Hipkins said.
But Kaye said the package was ‘‘watered down’’ and only a ‘‘drop in the bucket’’ in terms of what was needed.
‘‘What I’m concerned about is it’s not enough and it’s not the track the last government had set in train and there appears to be a cut there in terms of the VBS payment.’’
Hipkins said the package was only a ‘‘short-term’’ measure and while it was a first step, there would have to be more initiatives in the future.
‘‘There’s a limited number of quick fixes and we’ve done those.’’