Editorial: We need the best

Bay secondary schools were struggling to find maths and science teachers.

There's that old saying, "those who can't do, teach".

That might be true of some teachers but in no way reflects many of those who have a passion for the profession.

In the Bay of Plenty Times Weekend we reported Bay secondary schools were struggling to find maths and science teachers.

PPTA Bay of Plenty chairwoman Rae Brown said it was hard to recruit good teachers in those areas because the pay was better in other industries and the teachers' workload was demanding.

Having a teacher with a passion for the subject and for teaching makes a huge difference.

There are a handful of teachers I vividly remember because they loved the subject and loved teaching and made it come alive.

I would credit those teachers with helping me get to where I am today. They pushed me, encouraged me and inspired me.

At high school I couldn't wait to be able to drop social science subjects but a careers adviser talked me into doing history and I loved it. For the next three years I looked forward to that class every day.

A big part of that was the teachers I had. They loved history and made every lesson a riveting story.

At the same time I had other teachers who did not seem to have that same passion for their subject or for teaching, and it made learning much more difficult.

Having good teachers in any subject is essential. It not only means they are being taught in a clear manner but it encourages students to put the time in to do well in it and helps them develop a passion for the subject.

Maths and science are highly technical and specialised areas so having good teachers in those areas is essential.

Not just anyone can teach subjects in a way all students can understand. We need good, passionate teachers - lots of them. They make a huge difference for many students.

It's sad to hear some may be dissuaded because of the pay or lack of support for young teachers.

Schools and the Government need to be doing everything they can to encourage people into the profession.