Rosina Merry: Teacher Education Forum executive chair on the Government's new teacher training requirements

There's concerns from experts that new teacher training requirements will exacerbate workforce shortages.

The Government's action plan includes teacher trainees needing to have achieved NCEA Level Two maths.

Teacher Education Forum executive chair, Rosina Merry, says many enter the profession well after leaving school.

She says the sector isn't against the Government working with the Teaching Council to increase entry requirements - but after some time and consultation.

"We're not suggesting we put it off, we're suggesting slowing it down a little bit. The pace of change for teachers - and for the sector - is huge."

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Episode Transcript

Speaker 1 (00:00):
Now there's more resistance to maths, this time to the
Teaching Council's plan, and the plan is to require new
teachers to basically swat up on their maths, have fourteen
maths credits at NCA Level two before they become a teacher.
The Teacher Education Forum has some problems with that. Their
chief executive is doctor Rosina Mary and with us. Now, Hey, Rosina,

(00:20):
what's the problem with new teachers doing level two maths
before they become teachers.

Speaker 2 (00:26):
Well, it's quite a bigger complex picture than an issue
around doing level two. I mean, this is a very
significant change that will take some time to tick in.
It's different than currently the universityly enter requirement. Yeah, and

(00:47):
it does mean for providers and for people who are
thinking about becoming teachers, it's a significant shift. There is
an assumption that school leaders will already be thinking that
they want to become teachers and be really clear on
the level and the amount of credits they would need
to then be able to enter the profession, which clearly

(01:10):
isn't correct. And many many people come in the problem.

Speaker 1 (01:13):
I mean, I don't want somebody teaching the kids who
doesn't understand maths at that level so good. We should
only have people who understand maths at that level and
if they've done it, they can be teachers. And if
they haven't, bugger off, that's a.

Speaker 2 (01:25):
Much much bigger problem than that. And it's a complex
program process is to think about. Teaching is complex, it's messy,
and we are not against working with the teaching counsel
to increase the level of entry requirements. What we want
is some time, a pause, some good evidence, some consultation,

(01:48):
to be able to work with our stakeholders every day.

Speaker 1 (01:51):
Every year that you guys put this off is another
year of kids not learning maths properly.

Speaker 2 (01:58):
Well, that's actually not for what's of our stakeholders would say,
and that learning match is a much bigger problem than that.
And we're not suggesting we put it off. We're suggesting
slowing it down a little bit. The pace of change
for teachers and for the sector is huge. They're already
coping with new curriculum now our curriculum that's going to

(02:19):
be fast forwarded with structured literacy and numeracy. So we
need some really time to work through that and make
sure there are resources in place, good PD for teachers.
A whole lot of other things to actually make this successful.

Speaker 1 (02:34):
Look I have some sympathy for teachers. I realize it's
a lot of change. Fast Rizena. Thank you, doctor Rizena,
Mary Teacher Education Forum Chief Executive. For more from Heather
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