January 24, 2005 Media Statement

New statistics: 2700 extra teachers in New Zealand schools in the last five years

There are almost 2700 more teachers in our classrooms than five years ago, over and above those needed to match roll growth, latest Ministry of Education figures show.

Associate Education Minister David Benson-Pope says the figures demonstrate the government's commitment to raising education standards.

According to the statistics prepared by the Ministry of Education and based on 2004 confirmed roll data, there were 2,689 extra fulltime equivalent teaching positions created since 2000.

Broken down that was an extra 1,117 primary teachers, 1,271 secondary teachers, 250 extra teachers in area schools and 51 extra teachers in special schools.

"Research shows quite clearly that regardless of a student's background, quality teachers can and do make the biggest difference to student achievement," said Mr Benson-Pope.

"By putting more teachers in our schools, improving the support for new teachers starting out, and increasing what we pay our teachers, we are clearly signalling the importance we place on improving the education of young New Zealanders.

"By 2008 total funding for education will have increased by over 50 percent since Labour became the government in 1999."
ENDS.

Attached: Staffing improvements between 1999 and 2004, a statistical breakdown prepared by the Ministry of Education showing the extra teachers by school type and electorate.

Also attached: Key facts: Putting more teachers into our schools

Key facts: Putting more teachers into our schools

 Teacher supply policies implemented by the government over recent years have improved the numbers of people coming to teaching as new teachers, the number of New Zealand trained teachers returning to teaching in this country, and the numbers of overseas trained teachers choosing to come to this country to teach.

 In 2004/05 18% of the government’s total core spending will be on education.

 Funding for the primary, secondary and special education sectors make up 49% of the total education appropriation.

 $2,705 million will be spent on teacher salaries.

 16,000 teachers have now received laptops through the Laptops for Teachers scheme.

 We have invested heavily in teacher professional development. This year we will spend over $114 million on programmes such as literacy and numeracy leadership professional development, principal's leadership and management development, and re-training support for those returning to teaching.

 The 2004 Budget provided an extra $37.86 million (over four years) in ESOL support for schools. This includes more resources for boards of trustees and principals, improved support materials for teachers and students, and intensive ESOL provision for high language needs students.

Teacher supply initiatives

Promoting teaching as a career:
 The increase to teacher salaries as part of the Collective Agreement settlement in 2004, is expected to have a positive and ongoing impact on teacher supply generally. This is evident in greater retention rates in the year to May 2004 in both the primary and secondary school sector. Television advertising has also proven to be a highly effective recruitment measure.

Allowances and grants:
 The International Relocation Grant is available to attract New Zealand teachers living overseas and overseas-qualified teachers relocate to New Zealand from other countries. The rate for New Zealand trained teachers remains at $5,000. The rate for overseas-trained secondary teachers has been recently increased to $4,000.

The Secondary Subject Trainee Allowance:
 The Secondary Subject Trainee Allowance (SSTA) is a financial incentive (of $10,000, paid in three instalments) for graduates and near graduates with specific degrees to become secondary teachers of subjects where there is a high demand.

 The SSTA target subjects are currently: biology, chemistry, computing, English, mathematics, physics, technology, and te reo Māori. Technology is a new subject from 2005.

New 2005 TeachNZ Secondary Subject Scholarships:
 From 2005, prospective teachers of chemistry, mathematics, physics, technology and te reo Māori have the option of applying for either the new TeachNZ Secondary Subject Scholarships or the SSTA. Recipients of the scholarship will receive their core study fees for each year of study; plus an allowance of up to $10,000 in total over the period of study for full-time students. Recipients will be bonded to teaching for the same amount of time that they receive the scholarship.

 In December 2004 the Minister wrote to all senior secondary NCEA enrolees in mathematics, physics, chemistry, technology and te Reo Māori advising them of the availability of these bonded scholarships.

SSTA Loan Support Scheme:
 The SSTA Loan Support Scheme is an incentive for secondary school teachers of target subjects to remain teaching in New Zealand until at least their fifth year of teaching. The Scheme consists of three annual payments of $2,500 in the teacher’s second, third and fourth years of teaching to be credited against a teacher’s student loan. As at 30 November 2004, 264 applications had been received for SSTA Loan Support.

STAFFING IMPROVEMENTS BETWEEN 1999 AND 2004
(BASED ON 2004 CONFIRMED ROLL DATA)

AREA SCHOOLS MIDDLE SCHOOLS PRIMARY SCHOOLS SECONDARY SCHOOLS SPECIAL SCHOOLS OVERALL TOTAL

GENERAL STAFFING STAFFING STAFFING STAFFING STAFFING STAFFING
ELECTORATE INCREASE INCREASE INCREASE INCREASE INCREASE INCREASE
(FTTE) (FTTE) (FTTE) (FTTE) (FTTE) (FTTE)

Aoraki 3.0 0.0 26.1 40.4 0.0 69.5
Auckland Central 2.1 0.0 8.2 25.4 2.0 37.7
Banks Peninsula 4.5 0.0 13.0 0.0 1.4 18.9
Bay of Plenty 0.0 0.0 26.3 8.5 0.0 34.8
Christchurch Central 6.3 0.0 10.4 30.7 1.2 48.6
Christchurch East 0.0 0.0 9.0 4.6 0.9 14.5
Clevedon 0.0 0.0 11.2 13.4 1.3 25.9
Clutha-Southland 7.7 0.0 35.1 38.1 0.0 80.9
Coromandel 11.3 0.0 29.1 20.0 1.3 61.7
Dunedin North 4.0 0.0 16.3 28.0 0.0 48.3
Dunedin South 0.0 0.0 19.3 16.0 1.2 36.5
East Coast 18.3 0.0 50.9 35.2 0.2 104.6
East Coast Bays 0 0.0 6.6 8.0 1.3 15.9
Epsom 0.0 0.0 6.1 12.0 0.0 18.1
Hamilton East 0.0 0.6 16.4 24.0 2.1 43.1
Hamilton West 0.0 0.8 17.2 14.9 1.3 34.2
Helensville 0.0 0.0 9.5 4.0 0.2 13.7
Hutt South 0.0 0.0 19.0 24.5 0.0 43.5
Ilam 0.0 0.0 10.2 17.0 2.3 29.5
Invercargill 3.2 1.2 18.7 20.0 1.3 44.4
Kaikoura 10.9 0.0 23.9 15.6 0.0 50.4
Mana 0.0 0.0 21.4 21.4 1.2 44.0
Mangere 13.4 0.0 9.6 16.0 1.3 40.3
Manukau East 4.0 2.4 8.8 13.4 0.0 28.6
Manurewa 0.0 0.0 13.8 9.4 1.1 24.3
Maungakiekie 3.2 0.0 6.4 12.0 1.0 22.6
Mt Albert 0.0 0.0 8.0 12.8 0.0 20.8
Mt Roskill 0.0 0.0 9.1 16.3 3.1 28.5
Napier 3.5 0.0 20.3 30.5 1.2 55.5
Nelson 0.0 0.0 12.4 20.0 2.4 34.8
New Lynn 0.0 0.0 5.9 4.0 1.2 11.1
New Plymouth 0.0 0.0 15.0 28.9 0.0 43.9
North Shore 0.0 0.0 7.3 20.2 1.1 28.6
Northcote 0.0 0.0 9.6 15.3 0.0 24.9
Northland 28.5 0.0 51.4 37.3 0.0 117.2
Ohariu-Belmont 3.2 0.0 10.3 12.0 0.0 25.5
Otago 5.5 0.0 20.9 32.1 0.3 58.8
Otaki 4.3 0.0 16.3 20.3 0.3 41.2
Pakuranga 0.0 0.0 8.0 12.0 0.6 20.6
Palmerston North 1.5 0.0 16.2 20.2 0.0 37.9
Piako 7.0 0.8 31.8 24.0 0.0 63.6
Port Waikato 6.7 0.0 32.5 20.0 2.4 61.6
Rakaia 0.0 0.0 25.0 21.2 1.1 47.3
Rangitikei 0.0 0.0 31.6 32.2 0.0 63.8
Rimutaka 0.0 0.0 16.3 20.5 0.0 36.8
Rodney 4.0 0.0 9.8 12.0 0.0 25.8
Rongotai 0.0 0.0 12.1 12.0 2.3 26.4
Rotorua 12.3 0.9 32.1 31.5 1.2 78.0
Tamaki 0.0 0.0 11.1 16.0 1.1 28.2
Taranaki-King Country 0.0 0.0 39.2 31.8 0.0 71.0
Taupo 15.0 0.0 27.2 28.5 0.0 70.7
Tauranga 4.0 0.0 8.8 19.1 1.1 33.0
Te Atatu 0.0 0.0 9.1 24.5 2.1 35.7
Tukituki 6.4 0.0 29.6 44.1 1.2 81.3
Waimakariri 6.6 0.0 15.2 16.0 0.0 37.8
Wairarapa 4.5 0.0 24.6 34.9 0.0 64.0
Waitakere 5.8 0.0 8.5 8.0 0.0 22.3
Wellington Central 0.0 0.0 9.8 20.0 1.3 31.1
West Coast-Tasman 15.3 0.0 25.3 22.2 0.0 62.8
Whanganui 3.3 0.0 33.4 25.0 1.3 63.0
Whangarei 12.3 0.0 20.1 25.6 1.5 59.5
Wigram 8.9 0.0 11.0 21.0 1.3 42.2

TOTAL 250.5 6.7 1,117.3 1,264.5 50.7 2,689.7

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