Welcome Budget Increases Number Of School Onsite Teacher Training Positions
Primary Teacher training organisation Te Rito Maioha congratulates Minister Stanford on increasing the number of School Onsite Training Programme placements.
The School Onsite Training Programme (SOTP) provides funding for places in school-based Initial Teacher Education (ITE) programmes where teacher trainees are hosted in schools 3 days a week while studying remotely towards their teaching qualification.
'Te Rito Maioha has been growing teachers via this method since 2016', says says Kathy Wolfe, CE Te Rito Maioha. 'We commenced our Bachelor of Teaching (Primary) in 2021 and our Graduate Diploma of Teaching (Primary) in 2023 with great outcomes for new teachers. It's encouraging that the government has acknowledged this practical method of teacher training as an important tool in addressing the current teacher shortages due to the successes it has shown.
The increased funding announced in the budget by Minister Stanford to fund a further 530 places is a very welcome move, with those teacher trainees being offered a stipend and a contribution towards their tuition fees from the government.'
'This programme intends to grow and maintain the pipeline of teachers by investing in onsite (in- school) teacher education. This fund covers the student tuition fee for their initial teacher education degree at their chosen provider, a stipend for students, as well as a koha to schools for providing a placement for students,' says Mrs Wolfe.
'As an organisation we have 11 education centres around the motu, offering online delivery and personable pastoral care, and all our ITE is field-based, meaning students can study while working in local schools. That's a win- win for combating local teacher shortages, graduates are ready to teach, and this often results in keeping local talent, local.'
'It's a fantastic way of learning. Our decision to offer this online model where our students are also in classrooms right across the country, has been the best thing we ever did. Not only are the students learning the theory online and with our excellent lecturers, from the primary sector, but they are then putting that theory into practice immediately. It makes for a much richer and practical learning environment for students and schools.'
'This learning model has been a very successful, with 98% of our graduates employed in schools upon completing their qualification.'[1]
'It's exciting that the Minister has recognised both the need in Primary Schools and the value of the SOTP programme and we look forward to again working with the Ministry of Education as they allocate further placements for 2026, says Mrs Wolfe.'
Notes:
Te Rito Maioha has seen significant growth in both our primary ITE programmes. Our 2025 enrolments for The Bachelor of Teaching (Primary) increased 61%, while the Graduate Diploma of Teaching (Primary) increased 80%.
Interested schools or students are encouraged to contact Te Rito Maioha to see if they qualify for the SOTP funding for 2026.
Background:
Budget 2024 funded 1200 School Onsite Training Programme (SOTP) places for aspiring teachers to train in the classroom. Funding is for four years and expands the programme to include primary and intermediate as well as secondary.
Provide a $20,000 package per placement to make it easier for SOTP teachers to train by providing a stipend toward their living and training expenses and a tuition fees contribution. Schools will also receive a costs contribution for each trainee teacher they work with.
[1] The other 2% have generally gone overseas or through personal circumstances, have decided to do relieving work.
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
RNZ News
a day ago
- RNZ News
Teacher suspensions quashed by Vanuatu Supreme Court
Photo: RNZ/ Dan Cook Vanuatu's Supreme Court has quashed a Teaching Service Commission decision to suspend and terminate over 600 teachers for participating in a strike. The court also declared that the industrial action, which started on 6 June last year and recalled on 10 August 2024, remains lawful. The Vanuatu Daily Post reported the strike was initiated by the Vanuatu Teachers Union over payroll issues . Judge Edwin Peter Goldsbrough, who presided over the judicial review, delivered his ruling in a courtroom packed with union members last week. He stated that he found no evidence to support a finding that the industrial action was unlawful through alleged procedural irregularities. The union dedicated the victory not just to teachers, but to all workers in the country. According to a timeline from the Ministry of Education and Training, the union notified the Commissioner of Labor of its intention to strike in early May 2024. The primary claim in the notice was the transfer of the teachers' payroll budget from the Ministry of Education and Training to the Teaching Service Commission. A conciliator was appointed but after three sittings a party did not turn up, so the meeting could not proceed. The union then started industrial action on 7 June, before an undertaking agreement was signed on 17 June by the union, the Teaching Service Commission and the ministry. On 5 August, the three parties met for a final review of the claims to be included in the collective bargaining agreement together with a payment plan. The Vanuatu Teachers Union expressed disapproval with the payment amount, but said its members would return to the classroom once they received the first payment in their accounts. As they waited, the number of suspensions issued by the Teaching Service Commission continued to rise. In a statement in March this year, Minister of Education Simil Johnson said the government has "shown its commitments to implement the content of the Council of the Minister's Paper to settle the four billion [vatu] outstanding". The Ministry also said multiple claims were unsubstantiated. In one instance, 1192 teachers claimed principals and deputy principals' allowances. The verification process saw 496 of those claims paid, 235 considered, which cost about 25,180,000 vatu, and 461 were unsubstantiated. Johnson said in the same statement the Government had already begun "paying teachers legal entitlements" and there was "no way" it would not pay fot all other legal entitlements. "I urge all government-paid teachers to continue in their professions as teachers and school administrators and let government do its part in getting teachers' entitlements paid accordingly," he said.
Scoop
24-05-2025
- Scoop
Schools Risk Losing Teaching Talent
North Canterbury's ''best and brightest'' teachers could be lost following cuts in Thursday's Budget, a North Canterbury principal says. More than 100 teaching roles across North Canterbury will be impacted, with the Kāhui Ako (communities of learning) programme set to be axed in December. Education Minister Erica Stanford confirmed the Kāhui Ako scheme, which paid about 4000 teachers extra to lead improvements in groups of schools around the country, will be scrapped. The funding will be diverted to help pay for more learning support co-ordinators and teacher aides. ''We have assessed underspends and reprioritised initiatives that are underperforming or lack clear evidence that they're delivering intended outcomes,'' Ms Stanford said. Ending the Kāhui Ako programme means teacher contracts will need to be paid out and principals will be left navigating staff surpluses. Rangiora High School board of trustees presiding member Simon Green said it was ''devastating'' to see Kāhui Ako disestablished, ''particularly for North Canterbury kura where this model has been highly effective''. Kaikōura Primary School board of trustees presiding member Vicki Gulleford said the Kāhui Ako programme has been successful in bringing schools together and supporting the transition to high school. She said her school was set to lose its resource teacher of literacy, which was shared with the other Kaikōura schools. Kāhui Ako were established in 2014 and involved local preschools, primary and secondary schools working together. There are 220 Kāhui Ako around the country, comprising nearly 2000 schools and around 1500 early learning centres. In North Canterbury there are four, including Puketeraki which comprises 18 schools including Rangiora High School, and Kātote which brings together nine schools including Kaiapoi High School. Tipu Maia Kahui Ako comprises six area schools and seven Hurunui primary schools, while in Kaikōura a Kāhui Ako is centred around Kaikōura High School. Swannanoa School principal Brian Price, the Puketeraki lead principal, said around 40 teachers were employed in Kāhui Ako roles. ''These are our best and brightest teachers. We put them in these roles because they had to ability to lead, to upskill their colleagues and to lift student achievement.'' It will also impact on the relief teachers employed to cover for part-time Kāhui Ako roles, he said. Mr Price said schools in the Kahui Ako already had learning support co-ordinators and he thought it was unlikely they would gain any more, despite the extra funding. Tipu Maia lead principal Maree Lucas, of Omihi School, said Kāhui Ako had provided ''a great opportunity to collaborate, network and learn as a group''. She said 22 staff have been employed in Kāhui Ako roles across the 13 schools. ''This helps with staff retention in small schools. It has given us professional learning opportunities that small schools definitely wouldn't have been able to afford without the Kāhui.'' Te Kātote Kāhui Ako lead principal Andrew Retallick, of Woodend School, said around 30 staff will be impacted. ''It provided a leadership pathway which can even lead to becoming a school principal.'' He said there seven learning support co-ordinators across the nine schools. Given the existing formula of one co-ordinator to 500 students, he estimated Kātote might gain one or two co-ordinators at most. The principals said they were committed to continuing to work together. The Ministry of Education has been contacted for comment.
Scoop
23-05-2025
- Scoop
Welcome Budget Increases Number Of School Onsite Teacher Training Positions
Press Release – Te Rito Maioha Early Childhood NZ The increased funding announced in the budget by Minister Stanford to fund a further 530 places is a very welcome move, with those teacher trainees being offered a stipend and a contribution towards their tuition fees from the government. Primary Teacher training organisation Te Rito Maioha congratulates Minister Stanford on increasing the number of School Onsite Training Programme placements. The School Onsite Training Programme (SOTP) provides funding for places in school-based Initial Teacher Education (ITE) programmes where teacher trainees are hosted in schools 3 days a week while studying remotely towards their teaching qualification. 'Te Rito Maioha has been growing teachers via this method since 2016', says says Kathy Wolfe, CE Te Rito Maioha. 'We commenced our Bachelor of Teaching (Primary) in 2021 and our Graduate Diploma of Teaching (Primary) in 2023 with great outcomes for new teachers. It's encouraging that the government has acknowledged this practical method of teacher training as an important tool in addressing the current teacher shortages due to the successes it has shown. The increased funding announced in the budget by Minister Stanford to fund a further 530 places is a very welcome move, with those teacher trainees being offered a stipend and a contribution towards their tuition fees from the government.' 'This programme intends to grow and maintain the pipeline of teachers by investing in onsite (in- school) teacher education. This fund covers the student tuition fee for their initial teacher education degree at their chosen provider, a stipend for students, as well as a koha to schools for providing a placement for students,' says Mrs Wolfe. 'As an organisation we have 11 education centres around the motu, offering online delivery and personable pastoral care, and all our ITE is field-based, meaning students can study while working in local schools. That's a win- win for combating local teacher shortages, graduates are ready to teach, and this often results in keeping local talent, local.' 'It's a fantastic way of learning. Our decision to offer this online model where our students are also in classrooms right across the country, has been the best thing we ever did. Not only are the students learning the theory online and with our excellent lecturers, from the primary sector, but they are then putting that theory into practice immediately. It makes for a much richer and practical learning environment for students and schools.' 'This learning model has been a very successful, with 98% of our graduates employed in schools upon completing their qualification.' [1] 'It's exciting that the Minister has recognised both the need in Primary Schools and the value of the SOTP programme and we look forward to again working with the Ministry of Education as they allocate further placements for 2026, says Mrs Wolfe.' Notes: Te Rito Maioha has seen significant growth in both our primary ITE programmes. Our 2025 enrolments for The Bachelor of Teaching (Primary) increased 61%, while the Graduate Diploma of Teaching (Primary) increased 80%. Interested schools or students are encouraged to contact Te Rito Maioha to see if they qualify for the SOTP funding for 2026. Background: Budget 2024 funded 1200 School Onsite Training Programme (SOTP) places for aspiring teachers to train in the classroom. Funding is for four years and expands the programme to include primary and intermediate as well as secondary. Provide a $20,000 package per placement to make it easier for SOTP teachers to train by providing a stipend toward their living and training expenses and a tuition fees contribution. Schools will also receive a costs contribution for each trainee teacher they work with. [1] The other 2% have generally gone overseas or through personal circumstances, have decided to do relieving work.
