Hon Erica Stanford
Minister of Education

The Government is backing New Zealand's teaching workforce by funding teacher registrations and practising certificates, acknowledging the vital role educators play in driving positive change in classrooms.

“We know the most important aspect of a child’s education is the quality of the teacher in front of them. Teachers have stepped up to implement our ambitious reform programme that's delivering real change in the classroom. They are teaching a new world-leading curriculum as well as embracing structured approaches to literacy and maths to ensure better outcomes for our children. They are supporting students to gain vital secondary qualifications that will prepare them for the future. This initiative is a direct recognition of the ongoing hard work, dedication, and professionalism of teachers across the country,” Education Minister Erica Stanford says.

The Government has committed funding of $53 million in Budget 2025 to cover fees through to 2028, including any increases the Teaching Council may implement through their current fee review.

From July 1, teachers will save up to $550 when applying for registration or renewing their practising certificate. This initiative will benefit around 40,000 fulltime and part time school and early learning teachers in the first year of funding and approximately 115,000 across the three years.

“As we work to raise standards and restore trust in the education system, it is important that we support the teaching workforce leading this reform. The Government has promised to remove this cost, and we have delivered".

Since coming into office, the Government has introduced and maintained many initiatives to attract and retain teachers:

• Doubled the numbers of paid School Onsite Training Programme places to 1200, paying out $21,500 for each place, through Budget 2024

• Supporting 352 teachers to return to the classroom since October 2024 by covering the costs of their practising certificates or limited authority to teach fees (LAT)

• Ongoing marketing campaigns, in NZ and overseas, that are focussed on attracting increasing numbers of teachers to teaching in NZ

• Added primary and secondary teachers to the straight to residence pathway on the Green List with 1400 teachers arriving from overseas in 2024

• Continued to fund relocation packages of up to $10,000 for qualified teachers who are overseas to move to New Zealand with 891 teachers supported in 2024.

• Continued to fund more than 400 scholarships to encourage in to, and support people through, teacher training.

• Supported 130 beginning or returning teachers through the BeTTER Jobs Programme in the 2024/2025.

• Funded ongoing targeted marketing campaigns that have seen approximately 2,000 newly graduated teachers join the workforce this year.

"This Government is determined to raise achievement and close the equity gap so all children get an equal chance to thrive. Enabling more teachers to do what they do best in the classroom is another step to achieving this," Ms Stanford says.

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