The Bay of Plenty is among the regions gaining from the largest annual increase in the teaching workforce in more than 20 years.

New government data show the schooling teacher workforce grew by 2.5 per cent in 2024, with 1,864 additional teachers entering classrooms — the highest year-on-year increase since records began in 2009.

Education Minister Erica Stanford said the growth reflects the Government’s commitment to supporting and strengthening the education workforce.

“We want to grow, promote and support the education workforce who every day deliver real change in the classroom,” Stanford said. “It’s really encouraging this is resulting in more people choosing to become teachers.”

Every region saw growth, with South and West Auckland, Waikato, Bay of Plenty, Wellington, and Canterbury recording the strongest increases.

Of the 1,864 new teachers, 1,128 joined the primary sector and 736 entered secondary schools.

Initial Teacher Education enrolments also rose in 2024, with first-time domestic enrolments increasing by 6.3 per cent — from 3,400 to 3,615. The rise spanned early childhood, primary and secondary sectors, and marked the highest entry rate into teaching since 2009.

Stanford said a range of support measures had helped remove barriers for new teachers.

“From scholarships and onsite training pathways to removing financial barriers like registration fees, we’ve made it easier for people to take that first step into the classroom, and it’s working,” Stanford said.

In 2024, the average total pay for primary teachers exceeded $94,000, while secondary teachers earned around $101,000. Primary principals received an average of over $150,000 and secondary principals over $200,000.

The Government aims to build on this momentum through Budget 2025, which allocates $53 million to cover teacher registration fees until 2028.

The budget package also supports returning and overseas-trained teachers and expands training pathways for aspiring principals.

“We know there’s still more to do to ensure every student has a quality teacher in front of them,” Stanford said.

“That’s why Budget 2025 includes even more investment to grow and strengthen the profession.”

Stanford said the focus remains on quality teaching and outcomes.

“Great teachers are the single most important factor in a child’s education,” Stanford said.

“When we support teachers, we support better outcomes for every learner.”