A union is calling for a teacher aide in every New Zealand classroom to help support student learning and assist struggling teachers.
A new survey commissioned by the primary teachers’ union has found more than 80% of parents back the move, which is estimated to cost between $300 million and $500m annually.
This is based on a ratio of one teacher aide for every 24 students.
There are currently more than 22,000 teacher aides working in NZ schools. Parents say they provide an invaluable resource and without their help many children with learning difficulties would fall behind.
The survey, commissioned by New Zealand Educational Institute Te Riu Roa (NZEI), showed 83% of parents surveyed support the Government funding the programme.
It also showed National and Labour voters were aligned on the issue, with 82% and 89% support respectively.
The move was backed by 93% of Green and Te Pāti Māori voters and 68% of Act voters.
Teacher aide and NZEI Te Riu Roa national member leader Ally Kingi said the results should send a message to policymakers that New Zealanders see the current funding model as broken.
She said they were demanding a secure, permanent workforce to support their children’s education.
NZEI estimated the teacher aide workforce would have to increase by about 50% to reach a teacher aide to student ratio that allowed for one in each classroom.
“An additional 10,000 teacher aides obviously cannot happen overnight so any policy would have to build up over several years.”
Mum of three, Amanda, said two of her sons have learning disabilities and teacher aide support, although limited, had been essential.
She said her 9-year-old in Year 5 with attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) and dyslexia would not be at his current level for maths and reading without the help of his teacher aide.
“For him, reading is an issue. Everything pins on being able to read, even maths these days. It’s not just numbers on a page; it’s word questions. You’ve got to be able to read that to do the maths.”
She also has a 12-year-old in Year 8 with autism and dysgraphia, a learning disability that causes difficulty with writing.
He also needed targeted support despite being bright and functioning academically two years ahead of his peers, she said.
“The reality is that there are not that many teacher aides, and there is not enough funding, but there is so much need for them.
“There are so many kids with challenges.”
Nicola, whose 10-year-old daughter and 7-year-old son have ADHD, said teacher aide support was spread too thin despite how invaluable the support was.
“My children would be so much further behind if they didn’t have the support of a teacher aide,” she said.
“Having that tailored assistance has made a huge difference.
“However, their school doesn’t have enough teacher aides to go around.”
She said the aides only get one hour in each classroom before having to move to the next.
“They can’t spend even half a day in one classroom because they are needed elsewhere.
“Once the teacher aide leaves, my kids feel lost; they can’t keep up with the demands of the school day alone.”
Matua Ngāru School principal Stephen Grady told the Herald there were increasing numbers of children requiring high-level intervention and a “desperate need for specialised support”.
“While the idea of a learning assistant in every classroom is an aspiration we would love to see realised, the logistics require more than just enthusiasm; they demand a massive, ongoing financial commitment and a robust workforce strategy from the Government and Ministry of Education.”
Grady said a more manageable first step would be funding a number of learning assistants based on roll numbers, with specific, ring-fenced funding.
Any changes would need cross-party support.
The Herald has sought comment from the Minister of Education and the ministry.
As part of last year’s Budget, the Government announced it would fund more than two million additional teacher aide hours every year from 2028, Ministry of Education workforce leader Anna Welanyk said last month.
“This commitment responds to the growing number of children with additional learning needs and the increasing pressure on teachers and schools.”
Budget 2025 also included an expansion of the Early Intervention Service, which provides support for young children with high needs, and funding to provide every primary school with a learning support co-ordinator.
The survey of 1433 people was conducted between January 21 and February 3 by Talbot Mills.
Sign up to The Daily H, a free newsletter curated by our editors and delivered straight to your inbox every weekday.