In the NZ Herald on the solution to the teacher shortage.
Teacher shortage: The solution for more educators is staring us in the face - Alwyn Poole
Key points:
“We have heard recently that the number of New Zealanders applying to go into teaching has halved since 2010 and that those graduating as teachers has dropped by a third.
Young people are now less likely to emerge from 13 years at school and then four at university to look to train for another year and immediately dedicate themselves to a long-term career.
Teaching is a fabulous occupation and nothing has changed since I started in 1991 that would lead me to another role if I had my own DeLorean and was able to predict lightning strikes.
New Zealand needs good and great teachers and they are out there.
But they are far less likely to be young graduates as one of our societal changes is that people in their early 20s are less likely to be able to cope with the stresses or have the necessary work ethic.
This is especially so when a significant amount of routine is required, some long days and late nights and plenty of the time your contribution goes unnoticed.
The people who can deal with those demands in 2024 are people from 35 years onwards who have a work record, have significant life experiences, and may have children with all of the relevant experiences that go with that.
Many of these people will not only have strength of character, energy and perseverance but will be choosing to enter the profession from a much more considered outlook. They will have added applied experience to their academic learning and be of far higher value in their subject teaching than otherwise.
These wonderful teaching prospects are far more likely to have families to support and mortgages to pay. They simply need a sound income and cannot take a year off.
This is also the result of an economy that has changed, with higher housing costs and both parents always needing to work. The solution is to pay them fulltime to train in schools and, with support, let them loose on students.
The Government now needs to fully step up, pay these people fully straight away, vet applicants well - and open up a whole new pathway to those actually best suited to the role in 2024.”
Alwyn Poole
alwyn.poole@gmail.com
Innovative Education Consultants Ltd
Education 710+ Ltd
(both sites currently being re-done)
alwynpoole.substack.com
www.linkedin.com/in/alwyn-poole-16b02151/