Photo: Sydney Bourne / Cultura Creative via AFP
The contractors who provide professional development to teachers say the speed of introduction of the new structured literacy and numeracy curricula means they may not have the staff to deliver the new programmes to teachers.
Professional development facilitators are contracted by the Ministry of Education to run workshops and conferences on half of the allocated Teacher Only days each year. The Education Minister Erica Stanford has allocated $20 million for the ministry to design the professional development models for the new structured curricula.
There are also changes to the way contracted providers are funded. The association representing the contractors has written to the Minister with their concerns - they say the speed of changes, and a lack of transparency, has caused three operators to shut down so far.
Whare Isaac-Sharland is the co-president of the Professional Learning and Development Association.
