Pre-Budget announcement - Funding for more teachers in schools

Extra funding of close to $167 million over four years will provide an extra 774 primary and secondary teaching positions over and above those required for roll growth, Education Minister Trevor Mallard announced today.

“The extra teachers will be provided from the start of next year, as part of this Government’s commitment to improving staffing,” Trevor Mallard said.

“This budget initiative will help ease workload and staffing pressures, and will give teachers more time to get on with teaching. This is about ensuring better teaching and better learning for students.”

Trevor Mallard also announced that this year’s budget will deliver more than $22 million in new funding for teacher supply initiatives over the next four years, bringing total funding in this area to about $66 million.

"Together these initiatives are aimed at increasing recruitment and retention of teachers, particularly in hard-to-staff areas or areas of subject shortages, as a bulge in student numbers moves through the secondary school system.”

The increase in teacher numbers will bring the total extra staffing to about 2,090 teachers by 2004. This includes the more than 1,300 full time teacher equivalents (FTTEs) already provided over the last three years.

"The government has made a commitment to further increases in future years so that the staffing improvements, based on the recommendations of the School Staffing Review Group, will be fully implemented by 2007 at the latest, with an endeavour to complete them by 2006," Trevor Mallard said.

The extra staffing entitlement is over and above the number of teachers provided according to roll growth. An extra 362 teaching positions will go to secondary schools, and an extra 412 to primary schools. The entitlement will be allocated to schools as: Up to 0.1 FTTEs in management staffing to schools with rolls over 60; Up to 0.9 FTTEs in guidance and curriculum staffing for schools with students in years 9 to 15; A reduction of the Maximum Average Class Size from 27 to 26 for schools with students in years 1 to 8 and with rolls of 175 or fewer; The introduction of a 1:20 teacher:student ratio for Mäori students who are taught in Mäori for more than 12.5 hours a week. The extra teachers will cost $20.4 million in 2003/04, $48.8 million in 2004/05, $48.8 million in 2005/06 and $48.7 million in 2006/07.

The extra funding for teacher supply initiatives includes further funding for the recruitment allowance and money to be used for retention purposes, the details of which will be the subject of a further announcement following consultation with the sector.

“This is a coordinated response to provide extra support in subjects of most shortage,” Trevor Mallard said.

“Funding is also increased for local and international teacher recruitment, and for matching teacher graduates to schools with staffing difficulties.

“I am also discussing recruitment and retention initiatives with the PPTA and the School Trustees Association to explore what more can be done to improve the teacher supply situation,” Trevor Mallard said.

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