The mounting teacher crisis could be fixed by performance pay, says ACT Leader David Seymour.

The Government is facing a massive teacher shortage and further strikes.

"This is what happens when you have a rigid, centrally-planned wage structure. Wages can’t respond to shortages.

"Performance pay would see good teachers paid more than poor teachers. More and better graduates would be attracted to the profession.

"Every other industry pays its workers based on performance - why are teachers a special case?

"ACT would also slash the unnecessary welfare and bureaucracy in the education system and use the money to help pay teachers’ salaries.

"We would end the failed, middle-class welfare scheme that is Fees Free. Fees Free is a $3 billion transfer of wealth to the well-off which has failed to increase tertiary participation.

"ACT would also cut the number of bureaucrats at the Ministry of Education by half, leaving one official for each school in the country. That would save $108 million and deliver a $2000 - or over 3 per cent - pay rise for the average New Zealand teacher.

"National and Labour's tired, old ideas have led us to this point and we need a radically different approach. ACT would pay teachers based on merit and slash the unnecessary welfare and bureaucracy in the education system to deliver better results."

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