51720 (2024). Hon Willow-Jean Prime to the Minister of Education

51720 (2024). Hon Willow-Jean Prime to the Minister of Education: How many, if any, teachers require professional learning and development on structured literacy to enable all schools to apply structured literacy from Term 1 2025, listed by the type of school in which they are teaching?

Hon Erica Stanford: I am advised that the Ministry of Education (the Ministry) does not hold complete data on the number of teachers at each school by year level, so it is not possible to provide teacher numbers in the way requested by the Member. However, between 20 March and 5 April 2024, a survey was undertaken of all English medium education settings with students between Years 0-6, to identify schools and teachers who had engaged in professional learning and development (PLD) for structured literacy approaches. Among those who responded to the survey, approximately 71 percent of teachers had engaged in PLD at that time. Between 13 May and 14 June 2024, an additional survey was undertaken of all settings where learning is through te reo Māori. I refer the Member to my response to written parliamentary question 51721 (2024) for further information on this. Since the surveys were conducted, additional structured literacy supports have been requested and approved to support schools and kura. Based on the number of teachers that these supports will reach, and accounting for the number of teachers who were identified through the Ministry’s surveys in both English medium and Māori medium settings, the Ministry estimates that approximately 8,000 full time Year 0-6 teachers in total are yet to engage in PLD at this time. This figure accounts for teachers who may have engaged in one or more supports. It’s important to note that using a structured literacy approach is only required for Years 0-3 in 2025. I refer the Member to the attached table, showing a breakdown of schools who have and have not engaged in Structured Literacy PLD by type.