10. Question No. 10—EducationCARL BATES (National—Whanganui) to the Minister of EducationQuestion No. 10—Education10. CARL BATES (National—Whanganui) to the Minister of Education: What recent pre-Budget education announcements has she made?Hon ERICA STANFORD (Minister of Education): Last week I announced $53 million over the next four years to attract train and retain teachers—the greatest asset that we have in our education system and an essential part of our plan to lift student achievement. This investment will support an additional 1500 teachers into the workforce and help to give our kids a world-leading education. Budget 2024 is unashamedly about the front line and you don't get more front line in education than the teachers who stand at the front of the classroom every day shaping the lives of our young people.Carl Bates: Why is investment in teacher training a priority for this Government?Hon ERICA STANFORD: Multiple recent reports indicate that the system is letting teachers down. Newly graduated teachers do not feel confident supported or prepared for the classroom. We're also faced with a projected shortage of up to 680 secondary school teachers in the next three years. The Education Review Office (ERO) found that half of our graduating teachers felt unprepared for the classroom. This Government is listening. Lifting achievement means investing in our teachers and improving the delivery of initial teacher education and developing the workforce of the future and that is a priority for this Government.Carl Bates: What will this investment in the front line deliver?Hon ERICA STANFORD: This funding includes 1200 new on-site teacher-training places a stipend for the trainees contribution towards their tuition fees and funding to support host schools. ERO recently reported that trainees who spend two or more days per week in schools were more prepared to enter the classroom upon graduation. On-site training provides an opportunity to spend more time in the classroom and to incentivise people with specialist skills and high-quality graduates to consider training as a teacher while receiving a stipend towards their cost of living and having their fees contributed to. We're also investing in relocation grants for an additional 300 overseas teachers supports for schools in early childhood education with teacher recruitment costs and 670 scholarships and awards for teachers.Carl Bates: What feedback has she seen about this announcement?Hon ERICA STANFORD: I've received strong support from the education sector. Post Primary Teachers' Association president Chris Abercrombie said In-class training is a really good option and it's a really good step from the Government to be looking at addressing the supply issue." One new teacher Hugo Miller said "I would have loved [to have spent] more time in schools."—during his in-class training—"I really took so much away from that and from the guidance of a mentor teacher or an associate teacher." and David Ferguson the principal of Westlake Boys High School said that their experience with on-site training was a real success. He also said "We think by exposing trainees to more in-class practising watching really good teachers teach that's a better way of preparing them than being at university full time.""