Action Not Words Needed for New Teachers

Action Not Words Needed on New Teacher Support and Training

The country’s largest education sector union, NZEI Te Riu Roa says it is essential that new teachers get the support and training they need, particularly as New Zealand faces a teacher supply crisis.

The Ministry of Education has released its discussion paper on initial teacher education “Becoming a Teacher in the 21st Century”. The review was largely a response to concerns about the quality of teacher training at some institutions, the readiness of some provisionally registered teachers to be in the classroom, and the quality of the induction programmes new teachers receive at schools and centres.

The Ministry says the review provides a critical opportunity for the profession to reach agreement on the new approaches and understandings that teachers of the 21st century will need in order to effectively teach New Zealand’s increasingly diverse learners.

NZEI is rightly recognised in the paper as a key sector leader, given the work it has been doing, particularly in the area of recognition for those teachers who are mentoring provisionally registered teachers in their first years of practice. NZEI believes that any teacher who holds the important position of tutor teacher should be specifically trained for the job and appropriately rewarded.

NZEI National President Irene Cooper says “this will contribute a level of assurance to parents and the community that our newest entrants to the profession can and do support their child’s learning appropriately. It is pleasing to note that the government intends to work with the union, employers and the Teachers Council to ensure consistency and rigour in those support programmes.”

There is a teacher supply crisis - the latest figures from the Department of Labour put primary school teachers in the top ten list of highest vacancy “high skill” jobs. Irene Cooper says that parents can expect more beginning teachers to be employed by schools “so it is important that the professional support for those teachers is the best it can be. Support in the first few years builds better professional commitment meaning teachers are more likely to be retained as committed members of their profession.”

But Irene Cooper says whilst NZEI acknowledges the fine words, it is HOW they are translated into practice that will determine their ultimate value, and she says the discussion document does not reach down into such detail.

“We know that many schools and centres employ new teachers on a short-term or part-time basis. In 2005 approximately 60 percent of our primary teacher graduates were employed under non-permanent arrangements in their first year following graduation. The rest didn’t even get a foot in the door leading to an unconscionable skills wastage. The government needs to introduce a scheme to ensure permanent positions for new graduates so they have the continuity of teaching and professional development time required to achieve registration. Not to do this and to instead rely on international recruitment to fill job vacancies beggars belief.” Ms Cooper says.

ENDS

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