Universities New Zealand welcomes the today’s announcement of increased funding for teacher training over the next four
years.
“Universities prepare 80% of the primary and secondary teachers in New Zealand,” says UNZ Chief Executive Chris Whelan.
“The funding package is designed to train or support an extra 3280 teachers over the next four years, with a range of
measures including covering fees and living costs for trainees studying in hard-to-staff subject areas, recruiting
graduates and professionals into low-decile secondary schools to teach while completing postgraduate training, and
iwi-based scholarships.
“The additional funding will cover the extra costs involved in meeting new Teaching Council requirements, which is a
welcome acknowledgement of the complexity of both the teaching profession and the preparation of new teachers. Providing
direct financial support to future teachers via TeachNZ and iwi-based scholarships, and the voluntary bonding scheme
will help lower the barrier to access and will the goal of recruiting and developing a more diverse teaching
profession.”
“We look forward to continuing to strengthen our partnerships with schools, the NZ Teaching Council and the Ministry of
Education to ensure high-quality teachers are placed in every classroom and school.”