Smaller classes could solve teacher oversupply

23 April 2012
For Immediate Release
Smaller classes could solve teacher oversupply

The education sector union NZEI Te Riu Roa says smaller class sizes could provide a solution to what appears to be a teacher oversupply situation.

NZEI says it is aware that teacher graduates are finding it difficult to find jobs and many schools say they are getting hundreds of applicants for one or two vacant positions.

NZEI President Ian Leckie says the oversupply could be turned into an opportunity to invest more in teaching and learning and give extra assistance to vulnerable and underachieving students.

“We know that for a long time there was a serious teacher shortage in this country and things have changed quite quickly. The oversupply is not necessarily going to last and it’s important that these teachers are not lost to the profession long-term”.

“There has already been considerable investment in training teachers so it makes sense to use those extra teachers to lower student-teacher ratios and create smaller classes,” he says.

In junior classes ratios have improved. Effective teaching happens in smaller classes but in Years 4-8 ratios still stand at one teacher to 29 students which in effect can mean class sizes of 30 or more. NZEI has long advocated that the teacher-student ratio should be lowered to 1:25.

Mr Leckie says “I’d bet every school in the country would welcome another one or two teachers onto their staff because parents and teachers know that children’s learning improves with more teacher contact”.

“The Government talks about the need to improve the quality of teaching and achieve better student outcomes. Here is an opportunity to do that by not only ensuring our trained teachers have jobs but also giving children more individual and valuable teaching time”.

ENDS

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