Shortage of secondary school teachers
Demand for secondary school teachers is expected to remain high. This is because:
- many teachers are leaving the job or retiring
- the number of secondary school students is rising, as those born in high birth rate years reach secondary school age.
As a result, the following roles appear on Immigration New Zealand's Green list: Principal, Kaiako, Pouako, intermediate, middle school, special needs, teacher of hearing impaired, teacher of sight impaired, special education teacher, teacher of English to speakers of other languages (if working in primary, intermediate or secondary school).
This means the Government is actively encouraging skilled people in those roles from overseas to work in New Zealand.
According to the Census, 24,996 secondary school teachers worked in New Zealand in 2018.
Chances best for English, STEM and te reo Māori secondary school teachers
According to the Survey of Principals on Secondary Teacher Supply, 78 principals said they found it difficult to hire secondary school teachers who could teach English, digital technology, maths, science subjects, and construction and mechanical technologies.
Qualified secondary school teachers who also speak te reo Māori are in high demand to teach in kura kaupapa Māori (Māori language immersion schools) and in general secondary schools.
The Government offers scholarships and additional salary payments to encourage teachers to train in this area.
Chances good in hard-to-staff schools
Your chances of securing a job are best in schools in rural areas, and in Auckland. Auckland secondary schools have difficulty recruiting teachers due to high housing costs, but some provide housing subsidies to attract them.
Most teachers employed by the Government
State schools are the biggest employers of secondary school teachers, but teachers may also work in private and state-integrated schools such as Catholic schools.
