Schools across New Zealand are finding it difficult to staff their classrooms due to a shortage of substitute teachers, which is forcing educators to combine classes.
At Bluestone School, principal Darren Smith called the situation a “crisis” after three teachers were out sick, and no substitute teachers could be found. As a result, students from multiple classes had to be combined, with up to 38 students in a single room, some of whom were sitting on the floor.
“We feel like we’re just babysitting,” said Mr. Smith, “We aren’t able to provide the quality education the government expects.” He noted that this was an unprecedented situation in his teaching career. Mr. Smith also expressed concern that soon, schools might have to notify families if they can’t offer classes for the day.
The problem has become so severe that when Bluestone School advertised for a teaching position, no applicants applied. The shortage is exacerbated by increased “release time” for teachers, which was introduced to give teachers more time for tasks like lesson planning. This change, although beneficial for full-time teachers, has increased the demand for substitute teachers.
The New Zealand Relief Teachers Association, led by Chairperson Sally Wallwork, confirmed that it now takes days to arrange for a relief teacher. While the overall number of substitute teachers has remained stable, demand has increased due to winter illnesses and more release time for full-time teachers. Ms. Wallwork emphasised the need to support substitute teachers with resources similar to those of full-time teachers to retain them in the profession.
The Ministry of Education reported that the number of substitute teachers has increased over the past three years. However, there are still regional and local variations in availability. The ministry is working to increase the overall supply of permanent teachers and has raised the pay rate for substitute teachers. Despite these efforts, some schools continue to struggle to find staff on short notice.
