Funding Secured
The Teachers’ Institute Secures Ministry of Education Funding for 2025
September 3, 2024
The Teachers’ Institute (TTI) today announced that it has been approved for Ministry of Education funding as part of the government’s School Onsite Training Programme (SOTP) for Initial Teacher Education (ITE) programmes. This funding will provide up to 50 aspiring teachers with fees-free study for their Postgraduate Diploma in Teaching (secondary, school-based) through TTI as well as a $12,500 stipend to help with living and study-related expenses.
The government has recently expanded the SOTP to increase the number of funded places available for teacher trainees over the next four years, starting in 2025. This expansion acknowledges the significant benefits of the SOTP, where students gain extended practical classroom experience, preparing them well for a successful career in teaching.
The SOTP funded places support teacher trainees to be onsite at one of TTI’s community of schools from day one, allowing them to observe and learn important aspects of teacher training that can only be experienced through hands-on training. This increased practical experience ensures that new teachers feel confident and prepared when they start their first year as provisionally certificated teachers.
David Ferguson, Trust Chair of The Teachers’ Institute and Headmaster of Westlake Boys’ High School, commented on the importance of this funding:
“Having a variety of pathways into teaching is crucial in enabling a wide range of people, including career changers, to join the teaching profession. This approach has the potential to attract people who haven’t previously considered teaching as a career option but who have the opportunity to develop into exceptional teachers, and help ensure all students have access to high-quality education. The SOTP pathway is designed to provide teacher trainees with real classroom experiences while they study. It has proven popular with both schools and teacher trainees, with both groups finding the additional classroom time invaluable.”
The Teachers’ Institute is a charitable trust, governed by a Board of Trustees, which receives advice from an Advisory Board of member schools. It is registered as a Private Training Establishment (PTE) with NZQA.
The Trust is a collaboration between fifteen founding secondary schools: Westlake Boys’ High School, Auckland Grammar School, Diocesan School for Girls, Rangitoto College, Massey High School, St Cuthbert’s College, St Peters College, Manurewa College, Baradene College, Mount Albert Grammar School, Westlake Girls’ High School, St Paul’s College, Macleans College, Liston College and Long Bay College.