Education Minister, Erica Stanford says the latest report from the OECD’s Teaching and Learning International Survey (TALIS) 2024 shows initial teaching training (ITE) isn’t sufficiently supporting new teachers to be confident in the classroom.
The TALIS report found:
- 62% of graduate teachers were not confident in teaching content of all subjects they teach;
- 54% were not confident in pedagogical approaches (how to teach it) in all the subjects that they teach.
“Building the workforce of the future is one of our six priority areas and it’s concerning to see our new teachers trained through ITE are not sufficiently prepared for the classroom. These results are significantly lower than many comparable OECD countries at all levels of experience, and substantially lower than what was last recorded in 2018,” Ms Stanford says.
“We are delivering comprehensive education reform, it’s critical our fantastic teachers are equipped with the confidence and skills they need to thrive in the classroom.”
The Minister said the Government was working to lift the quality of initial teacher education through updated programme requirements, stronger oversight, and clearer policy direction.
“I remain committed to supporting teachers with training and professional development, particularly when it comes to the curriculum changes that we are progressing. I intend to announce further decisions in due course,” she said.
The survey report also found teachers are confident users of digital technology, are using AI more than other countries and want to keep developing in this area. Around half the teachers surveyed were satisfied with their salary – up from 36% in 2018. Over 85% reported enjoying their job, their place of work, and teaching itself, and more than two thirds said they felt valued by students and parents in their school.
Between 2018 and 2024, the proportion of Year 7 to 10 teachers in schools where the principal said at least 10% of students had learning support needs increased from 19% to 77%.
“Through Budget 25, we delivered the most significant investment in learning support in a generation. Our $750 million investment is resulting in a smart, system-wide reform that significantly increases specialist and support staff resources in our schools.”
“We are firmly committed to backing teachers to succeed in the classroom and deliver the world-leading education Kiwi kids deserve,” Ms Stanford says.
