NZEI Te Riu Roa welcomes Government moves to address teacher shortages in ECE
4 September 2019
NZEI Te Riu Roa has welcomed new Government measures to help relieve the shortage of early childhood education teachers
-- but says lifting pay for ECE teachers is the fundamental solution to the crisis facing the sector.
NZEI National Executive early childhood representative Virginia Oakly said it was great to see the Government has
recognised the funding crisis in early childhood teaching and taken some action on the issue.
"However, the lasting solution to the shortage will be fair pay for all qualified teachers across the sector. Our
children and our teachers are worth it!"
She said severe under-funding of the sector by the previous National Government over nine years had made ECE teaching an
unattractive career option, and the $4 million package announced today was a positive step to attract people into the
profession.
ENDS