We are in desperate need of teachers, but with a huge increase in teachers' registration fees, the Post Primary Teachers' Association is warning the country could lose some teachers who can't afford to pay out of their own pocket.
As of today, teachers' registration fees have more than doubled, with a three-year practising certificate increasing from $220.80 to $464.37.
The sector is already struggling with staffing shortages, with Newshub finding last month there were 1000 job vacancies across the education sector. And with an influx of children expected to hit the country soon the increase in fees is adding salt to the wound.
PPTA President Melanie Webber told Ryan Bridge on AM that while the fees did need to go up, at the rate of inflation they probably should have only increased by around $60.
"They're far, far higher," Webber said.
The Teaching Council NZ said on its website the fees have not increased in 12 years despite rising costs including inflation. They also said the Government has decided to no longer subsidise the fee, adding to the costs.
"As a practising principal myself, I know the timing of this consultation is not ideal. I also know that the size of the increase proposed is significant. We acknowledge and understand this and ask for patience and understanding," Governing Council Chair Nicola Ngarewa said.
With paid teacher sick leave having almost doubled this year compared to the same time period in 2019, before the onslaught of COVID-19, the increased fee is further deterring desperately needed relief teachers, Webber said.
"There's a lot of those people who do a bit of relief work are saying actually 'no I'm just not going to do it because I need to pay this registration fee and why would I?'" Webber said.
Webber said one of the things which is really upsetting teachers is they have been asked to pay for more than they want to pay for.
She said it is important they have a Teaching Council that looks after the entrances and exits to the profession, but they seem to be adding projects that the teachers don't want.
"Do we get to choose what we get from an organisation that represents us? No, we don't," Webber said.
She said the fees are hard for teachers, especially young teachers on low wages to pay all at once. The PPTA asked the council whether there could be an option to pay in instalments but Webber said they told her it was too hard.
The Teaching Council also reduced the Limited Authority to Teach (LAT) fees for untrained teachers to $353.87 for three years.
"They're a body that's meant to be upholding the status of the profession," Webber said. "To say 'we'll give you a cheaper rate if you're not actually trained' just seems to go against the whole ethos of what they say they're doing."
