School will be closed on Wednesday the 29th of May as the teaching team will be taking industrial action.

There is a teaching crisis at present. 

A crisis only appears real when it effects you directly and I am now seeing first hand how the teaching crisis is impacting on our school. The number of teachers looking for work in Auckland is at an all time low.

I do not use the word crisis lightly. Our school, like most schools across the country, are facing a time of intense difficulty. Important decisions need to be made by the government urgently. The stop gap measures put in place this year to bring in oversees teachers is no more than a band aide on a gaping wound. 

Key factors behind the teaching shortage include;

Very poor short and long term planning on the part of the government around training and recruitment. The number of people opting to train in the profession has been in decline for several years. Couple this with an aging work force and a growing population does not take a rocket scientist to spell out warning!

Recognising that teaching is incredibly complex and hard work - and the job is only getting more challenging. There is no escaping these two points. The job of a classroom teacher is almost impossible. Can you imagine having to deliver engaging learning programmes across a multitude of curriculum levels that met the needs of all the learners while at the same time managing  their social and emotional well being?

Woefully inadequate support for children with learning and behaviour needs. The number of children who require differentiated support programmes has grown while the specialist support services who are responsible for assisting teachers work out learning programmes for these vulnerable children have not kept pace and have become increasingly shrouded by layers of time consuming bureaucracy. 

How then can we make the profession  attractive to more super beginning teachers like Ms Quach and Ms Caldwell, and keep them in Auckland?

Pay is at the heart of the problem. Beginning teachers require an improved starting salary. Following 3-4 years of study, while amassing a debt of $30-40K along the way, to start on $47K doesn't sound appealing. Even less for those who have to support a family or are looking to enter the profession later in life. Until the issue around pay can be settled we will not be able to address the teaching shortage.

The problem is not just a Konini School problem. If you have children at Intermediate and High School, you will no doubt be aware of occasions where your child's learning has been disrupted as schools struggle to find a suitable teacher to deliver a subject area or to cover a class due to staff sickness.

Thank you for your support.