School may be out for star recruit

Morrinsville College says it is "almost unheard of" to find teachers of the quality of David Boulton.

A British teacher who arrived in New Zealand to start a new life is on the verge of returning home after the dream turned sour.

David Boulton has a string of qualifications from Britain, including two university degrees, a post-graduate teaching certificate and "qualified teacher status". He also taught for four years in Manchester, northwest England.

But the New Zealand Qualifications Authority has refused to recognise him as a qualified teacher.

"Apparently schools are desperate for physics teachers here, but that doesn't seem to matter to the Qualifications Authority. So since our return flights run out in July we will be joining the exodus from New Zealand," Mr Boulton said.

The 36-year-old spent $25,000 bringing his family here last July after being offered a job at Morrinsville College in the Waikato.

His wife Catriona has just got a job with the Department of Corrections, running courses to help prevent reoffending. The couple have two children, Niamh, 7, and Amber, 6.

Mr Boulton believed he had done everything required. He got provisional registration from the Teachers Council and was told his qualifications were acceptable.

But he arrived to find his position would only be paid $26,000 a year instead of the promised $50,000 to $54,000.

"We've really struggled financially this year and I face losing about $13,000 each year, so there's no way we can stay unless this is resolved."

The problem lies in the British qualified teacher status, which is awarded after on-the-job appraisal.

The Qualifications Authority will not recognise it because it is not "a formal qualification from a tertiary institution".

The authority said there was no recognised teaching pathway that was solely employment or practice-based. It said that was in line with rules in Australia.

Mr Boulton has a bachelor of science, master of science, post graduate teaching certificate in further education as well as qualified teacher status. He teaches physics to year 9 to 12 students.

John Inger, Morrinsville College principal, said the case exposed a hole in the Qualifications Authority's rules.

"Given the worldwide shortage of teachers, particularly in subject areas like physics, we need to be able to widen our qualifications criteria, without lowering our standards, to allow for teachers with different qualifications pathways to be accepted into our schools and to be paid at the best possible rate," he said.

Dr Paul Lowe, head of science at Morrinsville, said it was a constant struggle recruiting science teachers.

"To get a guy in his thirties, with a masters degree in physics and an experienced teacher is almost unheard of."

If the UK Department for Education and Skills approved Mr Boulton, then the Qualifications Authority should have confidence in that approval, said Dr Lowe.

"This has been going on for a long time and it appears a very good teacher is being held up because of red tape."

Lindsay Tisch, National MP for Piako, said Mr Boulton and his wife were exactly the sort of new immigrants New Zealand wanted to attract "but there are roadblocks put up at every turn".

"He is highly skilled and highly regarded by the school and they will add value to the country, but aren't helped to settle while others seem to get in with very dubious qualifications."