November 04, 2018
Spend up on teacher support
The Coalition Government will put another $217 million over four years to fund a new workforce of educational professionals to help schools support children with diverse learning needs.
Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern announced the 600 learning support coordinators in her speech to the Labour Party conference in Dunedin yesterday.
She says teachers often tell her about the amount of time they spend trying to get support for children with additional needs, so the initiative will free up teachers so all children get more quality classroom time.
One in five New Zealand children has a disability or other learning and behavioral needs.
The new new learning support model was, developed by Associate Minister of Education Tracey Martin, through her draft Disability and Learning Support Action Plan.
Education Minister Chris Hipkins says the programme will include Māori immersion schools, but a specific workforce strategy will be needed to ensure there are enough te reo Māori teachers for the roles.
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