1 June 2007 – embargoed until 7am

Staffing figures give cause for concern

Making secondary teaching a more attractive profession is essential to stem the flow of teachers from the profession and encourage new graduates into it, PPTA president Robin Duff said today.

PPTA’s 2007 staffing survey released today shows that schools are finding it harder both to appoint new teachers, and retain existing ones. Principals also expect recruitment of both New Zealand and overseas-trained teachers to get harder in the next year.

“New Zealand is competing with other professions for skilled graduates and within a global market for teachers in which many western countries are experiencing teacher shortages,” Mr Duff said.

“If we want to make secondary teaching a first choice profession we need more competitive salaries and better conditions.

It’s about showing we value students by valuing teachers, valuing education and valuing learning.”

Key findings of the survey include:
* schools received an average of just over four applicants per position, down from nine in 1998, and fewer than two suitable applicants per position compared with four in 1998.

* Resignation rates per school are also higher than last year and there has been a continuing trend to increased loss rates of year 3 teachers.

*Of the teachers who resigned, two in every school surveyed were planning to leave the state secondary teaching workforce – mostly to teaching jobs overseas or to non-teaching jobs.

* 27% of schools are forced to use secondary teachers outside their subject specialty because they are unable to get trained and qualified subject specialists.

• The situation in technology remains particularly severe, with 16% of all vacancies reported, followed by English with 15%, maths with 13% and science with close to 10%.
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ENDS

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