Initial Teacher Education Peak Body Responds To Proposal To Change Entry Requirements To Initial Teacher Education

The recent government announcement about mathematics education has led to a proposal by the Teaching Council Aotearoa New Zealand (TCANZ) to raise entry requirements for primary ITE programmes to require 14 Level 2 NCEA credits in Mathematics. This will have significant consequences for teacher education and teaching more widely.

In a ‘snap’ hui between TCANZ and ITE providers on Tuesday, 7th of August, a number of issues were raised, including:

• That NCEA level 2 maths is not the mathematics knowledge required for primary teaching. The assumption that this maths knowledge will make any difference to what and how primary teachers teach maths is not based on any evidence.
• This requirement exceeds the University Entrance (UE) requirement of 10 credits in maths at Level 1 or above. This requirement will have an impact on enrolment numbers and will likely deter many otherwise sound, teaching candidates from applying or gaining admission to teacher education.
• This requirement assumes that secondary school students will have decided on a teaching career by the end of Year 11 and will thus have more than the UE entry requirements in maths.

A significant consequence of this proposal on the primary teaching workforce will likely be the exacerbation of teacher shortages in many parts of the country and a decrease in teacher diversity. Evidence from Ireland and Australia suggests that this kind of change does not increase the quality of mathematics teaching, but rather significantly and negatively impacts teacher diversity.

TEFANZ has concerns about the speed of change and the limited time and opportunity for robust consultation. TEFANZ would like to see a more considered approach; one that draws on the vast expertise in the primary ITE sector as well as the existing evidence on similar proposals made elsewhere, working with ITE providers to develop more inclusive solutions.

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