The New Zealand Educational Institute Te Riu Roa (NZEI) is urging the Government to fund a teacher aide in every classroom, a proposal estimated to cost between $300 million and $500 million a year. The model is based on one aide for every 24 students.
A Talbot Mills survey of 1,433 people found 83% of parents support the move. Backing cuts across party lines: 82% of National voters, 89% of Labour voters, 93% of Green and Te Pāti Māori voters, and 68% of Act voters.
Teacher aide and NZEI national member leader Ally Kingi said: “The results should send a message to policymakers that New Zealanders see the current funding model as broken.” The union is calling for “a secure, permanent workforce to support their children’s education.”
NZEI estimates the workforce would need to grow by about 50%, or roughly 10,000 additional aides, to meet the target. “An additional 10,000 teacher aides obviously cannot happen overnight so any policy would have to build up over several years.”
Amanda said: “For him, reading is an issue. Everything pins on being able to read, even maths these days.” She added: “There are not that many teacher aides, and there is not enough funding, but there is so much need for them.”
“My children would be so much further behind if they didn’t have the support of a teacher aide,” Nicola said, but noted shortages remain.
There are more than 22,000 teacher aides nationwide, and the Government has committed to funding over two million additional hours annually from 2028. Ministry workforce leader Anna Welanyk said: “This commitment responds to the growing number of children with additional learning needs.”
Principal Stephen Grady warned universal coverage would require “a massive, ongoing financial commitment and a robust workforce strategy”.