Annual scheme payments need not be used for student-loan repayments. Photo: 123RF
Schools struggling to recruit teachers are will benefit from a new $7.5 million Teacher Bonding Scheme, announced by Education Minister Erica Stanford on Friday.
The scheme will replace the Voluntary Bonding Scheme and the BeTTER Jobs Programme, which will end on 5 October.
The Rural Schools Leadership Association said it had engaged with Stanford and the Ministry of Education's Education Workforce "a number of times" over the past 18 months about a review of the two schemes.
Association president and Tauranga's Ōropi School principal Andrew King said the changes were "a huge win" for rural, isolated and small schools.
He said the Voluntary Bonding Scheme and the BeTTER Jobs Programme had not been used to their full potential, available only to new teachers, with a minimum Full-Time Teacher Equivalent (FTTE) of 0.8.
The Teacher Bonding Scheme will be open to all registered teachers, with a minimum FTTE of 0.3 and will include annual payments accumulating to a maximum of $40,000 after five years - an increase of $22,500 - which will be paid directly to the teacher and need not be used for student-loan repayments.
"They will be able to use the money on what is important to them," King said.
One-hundred-and-eighty-five places will be available each year, targeted using the Priority Staffing Schools criteria.
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