Photo: Sydney Bourne / Cultura Creative via AFP
An extra $53 million has been earmarked for teacher training, for more in-the-classroom training as opposed to at university. Is this going to deliver quality, ready-to-teach graduates?
The Education Minister Erica Stanford says there will be 1500 new teachers trained over the next four years. Trainee teachers will receive a $20,000 placement package, to go towards living expenses and tuition fees. Schools will also receive a contribution towards the cost of training and mentoring those new teachers. There will also be money for relocating overseas teachers, matching teachers to schools facing recruitment or retention challenges and more money for professional development.
The announcement comes as new research finds large numbers of recently-appointed primary teachers lack the most basic school qualifications in science and maths, and weeks after a group of mostly high-decile Auckland secondary schools joined to launch their own in-school training programme.
Kathryn speaks with the Chief Executive of the Teaching Council, Lesley Hoskin and Kyle Brewerton, President of the Auckland Primary Principals' Association.
