Déjà Vu in Education Workforce Report - NZEI

Déjà Vu in Education Workforce Report - NZEI

The education sector union NZEI Te Riu Roa says a lot of work has already gone into finding ways to better attract, train and retain teachers, which no government has chosen to pick up and run with.

The Education Minister has released a report from the Education Workforce Advisory Group – A Vision for the Teaching Profession. It discusses how to improve teacher training, support new teachers, provide stronger career paths and develop professional leadership.

NZEI has long recognised the need to build teacher capacity and strengthen the quality of teaching and has been involved with other sector groups in developing systems and strategies.

NZEI President Frances Nelson says “this report is a little like déjà vu for us”.

“It’s good to see some acknowledgement that further work needs to be done to train and retain the best teachers we can. However if constructive engagement with the sector had taken place on the work which has already been done, we could have seen some real progress on issues raised yet again in the report.”

One of the report’s key recommendations is that teachers must hold a postgraduate qualification to enter teaching. That would mean teacher trainees would complete a three year general degree and then go on to do one year post-graduate teacher training.

NZEI supports a four year qualification for primary teachers but says one year teacher training is not enough.

“What is needed is for the balance to change so that students would get at least two years specific teacher training within that four year qualification. That would ensure there is a more solid teaching foundation,” says Ms Nelson.

The Education Workforce Advisory Group’s Report is going out for consultation and NZEI will be making a formal written submission.

ENDS

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