1 00:00:00,040 --> 00:00:02,759 Speaker 1: According to an article in the New Zealand Herald this morning, 2 00:00:02,800 --> 00:00:06,560 Speaker 1: fewer people want to be teachers. Teacher education is still 3 00:00:06,559 --> 00:00:08,800 Speaker 1: a really popular field of study, but both Canterbury and 4 00:00:08,800 --> 00:00:11,639 Speaker 1: O Tiger Universities have seen a decline in teaching student 5 00:00:11,720 --> 00:00:15,880 Speaker 1: enrollments over the past four years. So initial data shows 6 00:00:15,920 --> 00:00:19,040 Speaker 1: that Canterbury has nine hundred and sixty four students enrolled 7 00:00:19,079 --> 00:00:21,440 Speaker 1: in a course in twenty twenty five, down from one thousand, 8 00:00:21,480 --> 00:00:23,840 Speaker 1: two hundred and eighty one four years ago. It Tigo 9 00:00:23,960 --> 00:00:26,960 Speaker 1: has followed a similar trend, with student numbers dropping from 10 00:00:26,960 --> 00:00:29,040 Speaker 1: six hundred and twenty to four hundred and ninety five 11 00:00:29,080 --> 00:00:31,600 Speaker 1: in the same period. A national Politech has seen the 12 00:00:31,640 --> 00:00:35,200 Speaker 1: lowest number of first year teaching students since it formed 13 00:00:35,240 --> 00:00:38,640 Speaker 1: in twenty twenty. So it is not the best news 14 00:00:38,720 --> 00:00:42,320 Speaker 1: when we're facing a teacher shortage, is it. PPTA president 15 00:00:42,440 --> 00:00:45,960 Speaker 1: Chris Abercrombie said the downward trend is extremely worrying, but 16 00:00:46,080 --> 00:00:48,800 Speaker 1: I'm not surprised by this. All we seem to hear 17 00:00:49,040 --> 00:00:53,239 Speaker 1: about our issues around pay conditions and the challenges challenge 18 00:00:53,280 --> 00:00:55,520 Speaker 1: of changes to the curriculum, and then there are the 19 00:00:55,560 --> 00:00:57,880 Speaker 1: parents who don't have the time to support their children 20 00:00:57,960 --> 00:01:00,560 Speaker 1: in their education, but complain about teachers and their children 21 00:01:00,640 --> 00:01:04,920 Speaker 1: don't reach their expectations. Look, I can understand paying conditions 22 00:01:04,920 --> 00:01:07,080 Speaker 1: being a red flag for someone heading into teaching, but 23 00:01:07,200 --> 00:01:10,280 Speaker 1: teachers have worked hard advocating for themselves when it comes 24 00:01:10,280 --> 00:01:13,240 Speaker 1: to pay and the government has accepted conditions need to improve. 25 00:01:13,800 --> 00:01:17,040 Speaker 1: But it's in all our best interests that we attract 26 00:01:17,120 --> 00:01:21,040 Speaker 1: good people passionate about education to the profession. And while 27 00:01:21,080 --> 00:01:22,760 Speaker 1: we may not be able to do much about the 28 00:01:22,760 --> 00:01:26,200 Speaker 1: paying conditions outside a general election, we can do something 29 00:01:26,240 --> 00:01:29,360 Speaker 1: to push back on the shift and attitude towards teachers 30 00:01:29,400 --> 00:01:32,679 Speaker 1: which has crept up in recent years, preventing some from 31 00:01:32,720 --> 00:01:36,920 Speaker 1: considering the idea of becoming a teacher. Chris Abercronbie said 32 00:01:36,920 --> 00:01:38,480 Speaker 1: that one of the things they often hear is the 33 00:01:38,560 --> 00:01:41,319 Speaker 1: lack of respect from the community from politicians, and people 34 00:01:41,360 --> 00:01:43,080 Speaker 1: are like, well, why do I want to go into 35 00:01:43,080 --> 00:01:46,880 Speaker 1: a profession that has that. As in any industry, there 36 00:01:46,880 --> 00:01:50,200 Speaker 1: are great teachers, good and some who may be a 37 00:01:50,200 --> 00:01:53,640 Speaker 1: bit useless, But we need to be championing our teachers. 38 00:01:53,960 --> 00:01:57,120 Speaker 1: Teachers play a massive formulative role in our children's lives. 39 00:01:57,240 --> 00:02:00,559 Speaker 1: Some even change a young person's life or what kids 40 00:02:00,600 --> 00:02:04,320 Speaker 1: believe is possible. Just over three years ago, a young 41 00:02:04,440 --> 00:02:06,760 Speaker 1: lady rather close to me started high school, had a 42 00:02:06,760 --> 00:02:09,160 Speaker 1: bit of a hiccup, and was at school for about 43 00:02:09,320 --> 00:02:12,520 Speaker 1: half of years nine and ten. In year eleven she 44 00:02:12,560 --> 00:02:14,720 Speaker 1: started a new school, and this year she aims to 45 00:02:14,720 --> 00:02:17,880 Speaker 1: wrap up school and complete year thirteen a year early, 46 00:02:18,240 --> 00:02:21,480 Speaker 1: before heading to university to do a science degree. There 47 00:02:21,520 --> 00:02:24,440 Speaker 1: isn't a person who knows what she's been through who 48 00:02:24,520 --> 00:02:27,320 Speaker 1: isn't stunned by this turnaround. A lot of it is 49 00:02:27,360 --> 00:02:29,440 Speaker 1: down to this remarkable young lady. She's worked hard to 50 00:02:29,440 --> 00:02:32,520 Speaker 1: get back on track and look, she loves loves to study. 51 00:02:33,320 --> 00:02:37,239 Speaker 1: But it's also thanks to a series of extraordinary teachers 52 00:02:37,480 --> 00:02:40,800 Speaker 1: who also just happen to be extraordinary humans that she 53 00:02:41,120 --> 00:02:46,280 Speaker 1: is where she is today. So if we want the 54 00:02:46,320 --> 00:02:50,280 Speaker 1: best outcome for our children and their future, maybe we 55 00:02:50,320 --> 00:02:54,079 Speaker 1: should all just stop waning about teachers. Maybe we should 56 00:02:54,080 --> 00:02:59,040 Speaker 1: start by showing some respect for more family edition with 57 00:02:59,160 --> 00:03:02,160 Speaker 1: Ryan's Bridge. Listen live to news talks it be from 58 00:03:02,240 --> 00:03:05,760 Speaker 1: five am weekdays, or follow the podcast on iHeartRadio.