UC welcomes new government investment in teachers

Professor Letitia Fickel

The University of Canterbury (UC) has welcomed the Government’s announcement of more funding for teacher supply and is proud to offer world-class teacher education.

University of Canterbury (UC) Professor Letitia Fickel, who is the Acting Pro-Vice-Chancellor of the College of Education, Health & Human Development, says she is pleased the Education Minister is responding to the national need to prepare the next generation of teachers for Aotearoa New Zealand schools. 

As Chair of the New Zealand Council of Deans of Education, Professor Fickel notes that universities together prepare 80% of the primary and secondary teachers in Aotearoa New Zealand. 

“This government support will enable UC to continue strengthening our partnerships with our school colleagues, the New Zealand Teaching Council and the Ministry of Education to collectively ensure we have high quality teachers in every classroom and school,” Professor Fickel says. 

“The additional SAC funding for ITE providers will support robust and on-going engagement with our school partners to meet the new Teaching Council requirements, and is a welcome acknowledgement of the complexity of both the teaching profession and the preparation of new teachers.  

“Providing direct financial support to future teachers via TeachNZ and iwi-based scholarships, and the voluntary bonding scheme, are key supports and incentives to those who wish to become teachers and have found financial considerations a barrier. Lowering that barrier will support our ongoing goal of recruiting and developing a more diverse teaching profession.  

“The full range of initiatives, including support for beginning teacher induction and preparing teachers for bilingual education settings, reflect a much needed systems orientation to the education workforce development needs,” she says. 

“I am looking forward to supporting our continuing efforts to develop programmes and initiatives in response to this government scheme.” 

UC’s School of Teacher Education offers a wide range of innovative, applied and relevant qualifications for all levels – undergraduate, graduate and master’s qualifications in initial teacher education programmes, and masters and postgraduate qualifications with endorsements in Specialist Teaching, Literacy, Teaching and Learning Languages, and Hoaka Pounamu: Bilingual and Immersion Teaching.

-University of Canterbury