It seems everyone has an opinion on what needs fixing in initial teacher education (ITE), with the Government pushing for a schools-based approach, while others voicing that more rigorous university study is warranted.

But Dr Rosina Merry, chair executive of the Teacher Education Forum of Aotearoa New Zealand (TEFANZ) warns against a one-size-fits-all approach.  

“We need to have a choice of provision for students,” Merry tells EducationHQ.

She believes offering a variety of pathways to becoming a teacher would attract more applicants into the profession.

“Some people are [in a] field-based qualification, I can think of one that’s fully online, and they don’t necessarily have to leave their home context, so if they are in a rural or remote area, they can study full-time and do their two days a week in a school,” she says.

“Whereas there are other people who really want to go to university, to experience that university life and to do their qualification in a different city, and that itself brings in different cultural contexts and different backgrounds.

The recent ERO report revealed only a third of new teachers feel prepared for work in the classroom after completing their initial teacher education.

The study also suggested teachers who spend more time in the classroom during their education are more prepared and recommends expanding programmes with more in-classroom training. 

Merry says that since 2019, university qualifications across New Zealand have increased time in schools and early learning centres to 40 per cent, as required by the Teaching Council Aotearoa New Zealand.

She also says she’s yet to find compelling evidence to show how much impact increasing time spent on practicum will have.

“From what I can see, it’s more about the quality of the program, the concepts in the program and how they are enacted during practicum, versus the lengths of practicum.”

With the current teacher shortage weighing heavily on schools, Merry recognises the need for greater numbers of well-prepared graduates moving into the profession, and hopes that TEFANZ, representing ITE providers across Aotearoa, will be part of the decision-making process.

She also says there’s work to be done to change the narrative around teaching in New Zealand.

“We read a lot about what is not right in teaching in New Zealand, but there’s [not] a lot about what is right.

“If we want to make this a profession people are keen to join, we need to change a bit of the narrative as well.”