Schools Risk Losing Teaching Talent

Saturday, 24 May 2025, 3:30 pm
Article: David Hill - Local Democracy Reporter

North Canterbury’s ‘‘best and brightest’’ teachers could be lost following cuts in Thursday’s Budget, a North Canterbury principal says.

More than 100 teaching roles across North Canterbury will be impacted, with the Kāhui Ako (communities of learning) programme set to be axed in December.

Education Minister Erica Stanford confirmed the Kāhui Ako scheme, which paid about 4000 teachers extra to lead improvements in groups of schools around the country, will be scrapped.

The funding will be diverted to help pay for more learning support co-ordinators and teacher aides.

‘‘We have assessed underspends and reprioritised initiatives that are underperforming or lack clear evidence that they're delivering intended outcomes,’’ Ms Stanford said.

Ending the Kāhui Ako programme means teacher contracts will need to be paid out and principals will be left navigating staff surpluses.

Rangiora High School board of trustees presiding member Simon Green said it was ‘‘devastating’’ to see Kāhui Ako disestablished, ‘‘particularly for North Canterbury kura where this model has been highly effective’’.

Kaikōura Primary School board of trustees presiding member Vicki Gulleford said the Kāhui Ako programme has been successful in bringing schools together and supporting the transition to high school.

She said her school was set to lose its resource teacher of literacy, which was shared with the other Kaikōura schools.

Kāhui Ako were established in 2014 and involved local preschools, primary and secondary schools working together.

There are 220 Kāhui Ako around the country, comprising nearly 2000 schools and around 1500 early learning centres.

In North Canterbury there are four, including Puketeraki which comprises 18 schools including Rangiora High School, and Kātote which brings together nine schools including Kaiapoi High School.

Tipu Maia Kahui Ako comprises six area schools and seven Hurunui primary schools, while in Kaikōura a Kāhui Ako is centred around Kaikōura High School.

Swannanoa School principal Brian Price, the Puketeraki lead principal, said around 40 teachers were employed in Kāhui Ako roles.

‘‘These are our best and brightest teachers. We put them in these roles because they had to ability to lead, to upskill their colleagues and to lift student achievement.’’

It will also impact on the relief teachers employed to cover for part-time Kāhui Ako roles, he said.

Mr Price said schools in the Kahui Ako already had learning support co-ordinators and he thought it was unlikely they would gain any more, despite the extra funding.

Tipu Maia lead principal Maree Lucas, of Omihi School, said Kāhui Ako had provided ‘‘a great opportunity to collaborate, network and learn as a group’’.

She said 22 staff have been employed in Kāhui Ako roles across the 13 schools.

‘‘This helps with staff retention in small schools. It has given us professional learning opportunities that small schools definitely wouldn't have been able to afford without the Kāhui.’’

Te Kātote Kāhui Ako lead principal Andrew Retallick, of Woodend School, said around 30 staff will be impacted.

‘‘It provided a leadership pathway which can even lead to becoming a school principal.’’

He said there seven learning support co-ordinators across the nine schools.

Given the existing formula of one co-ordinator to 500 students, he estimated Kātote might gain one or two co-ordinators at most.

The principals said they were committed to continuing to work together.

The Ministry of Education has been contacted for comment.

LDR is local body journalism co-funded by RNZ and NZ On Air.

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