KEY POINTS:
One in three schools have not got extra teachers - or haven't planned to get them - for when new rules for smaller entrant class sizes begin in May, a survey by the country's biggest teacher union shows.
Study author the New Zealand Education Institute said the finding, released today, should "set off a few alarm bells" for the Government.
NZEI president Frances Nelson said it flagged problems for when the new 1 to 18 teacher:pupil ratio for new entrant classes started at the beginning of term two.
But Education Minister Chris Carter said the vast majority of schools needed less than a half of a full-time position to meet the requirement.
Furthermore, 878 of the country's 1883 primary schools needed no new staffing for the initiative, said Mr Carter.
"It's good to know the vast majority of our primary and intermediate schools are fully staffed as the year gets well under way."
Ms Nelson said almost 500 principals responded to the online survey. It was conducted because of concern about the availability of teachers and the expected pressure once the smaller classes for 5-year-olds start.
Schools in parts of Auckland and Northland had found it particularly hard to get teachers at the end of last year - with some saying the teacher shortage was the worst in 15 years.
Ms Nelson said the survey showed while teacher supply remained very tight, 95 per cent of primary and intermediate schools were fully staffed.
She said the survey pointed to serious concern over the shortage of experienced teachers, with some principals saying that the pool of experienced staff was rapidly diminishing.
Mr Carter said experience was valued in all professions but there was a place for younger, less experienced teachers.
"While teacher supply does remain tight, particularly in the area of experienced teachers, the survey shows predictions on teacher supply expressed in some quarters were exaggerated," he said.
SIGNING ON
Of primary and intermediate principals trying to find and employ teachers for this year:
* 6 per cent had severe difficulty
* 29 per cent said it was moderately difficult
* 38 per cent said they'd had no problem
* 25 per cent said it was moderately easy
* 2 per cent other
Source: New Zealand Educational Institute
