Government Funding Secures Education Council Work Programme

Government Funding Secures Education Council Work Programme

The Education Council says the investment of over $21m in the organisation gives it time to start a meaningful discussion about the necessity to increase teachers’ fees.

Earlier today the Minister of Education, Hekia Parata, confirmed $21.34m of transitional funding will be paid to the Education Council over 2.5 years to support the Council to become self-sufficient.

This funding will be contingent on meeting five key performance measures.

Council chairperson Barbara Ala’alatoa thanked the Minister for supporting the Council’s proposal to build a more sustainable business model and for sharing the vision of an independent teaching profession.

"Fees haven’t increased in seven years yet we have doubled the range of functions of our predecessor, the Teachers Council. We are responsible for elevating the status of teachers through leadership, robust regulatory frameworks and growing capability building. We must also ensure we meet our requirements under the Vulnerable Children Act and police vetting services.

Ms Ala’alatoa says not increasing teacher fees for seven years created an unsustainable, untenable situation.

"The Education Council identified that the Teachers Council was facing an $8.5m shortfall each year to deliver not just the functions legally required, but those teachers have asked for.

"We will explore a number of scenarios for introducing new fees following the expiry of collective contracts. We will consult with all teachers on how we might increase services fees by mid- 2018, and certification and registration fees by mid-2019.

"This investment means we can build a financially robust organisation to deliver all the quality professional services teachers rightly deserve.

"Teachers, through consultation, will play a key role in this process. This is about the profession assuming responsibility for its future and building a progressive, sustainable, professional body."

Background

The Education Council was established in 2015 to take over from the Teachers Council. It has a significantly expanded statutory role, including providing professional leadership to the profession, establishing a code of professional responsibility, maintaining a disciplinary regime for teachers, and undertaking quality assurance, including ensuring vetting of prospective teachers and setting teacher standards for entry to the profession.

However, there has been no fee increase in the sector since 2010 to support the Education Council to carry out its expanded statutory role, and to fund the increased number of staff needed to carry out these additional functions. The current fees also do not cover the operating shortfall the Education Council inherited from the Teachers Council or the increased costs involved in establishing and maintaining new teacher registration criteria, standards for ongoing practice, criteria for the issue of practising certificates, and a code of professional responsibility by 1 July 2017, as required under the Education Act 1989.

ENDS

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