Govt Launches $40K Teacher Bonding Scheme to Tackle Staffing Shortages

The Government has unveiled a new Teacher Bonding Scheme aimed at easing staffing pressures in schools facing persistent recruitment challenges, Education Minister Hon Erica Stanford announced today.

Addressing Recruitment Challenges

Schools across New Zealand, particularly in rural and hard-to-staff urban areas, have struggled to attract and retain quality teachers. The Teacher Bonding Scheme (TBS), launching in October this year, is designed to address those gaps by offering significant financial incentives to teachers who commit to staying in eligible schools.

Minister Stanford highlighted that ensuring every child has access to excellent teaching is central to the initiative. “We want to help drive recruitment to schools around the country where it can be harder to bring new and experienced teachers on board, so that all of our children can get the best start and thrive with excellent teachers,” she said.

Incentives Up to $40,000

Under the new scheme, teachers who take up positions in eligible schools will be rewarded with payments of up to $40,000 over a five-year period. The payments begin at $5,000 after the first year and rise to $11,000 in the fifth year. In total, the scheme will support 185 teaching positions annually.

This structure is designed to reward long-term commitment, giving schools greater stability while also providing teachers with a strong financial incentive to remain in their roles.

Supporting Both New and Experienced Teachers

Unlike previous incentive programmes, the TBS is open to both beginning and experienced teachers. This reflects feedback from schools that often need seasoned educators as much as new graduates. “Sector feedback is clear that harder-to-staff schools want the opportunity to attract and retain experienced teachers to their schools, as well as beginning teachers,” Ms Stanford explained.

The scheme will provide boards and principals with greater flexibility in hiring, allowing them to match teachers to the unique needs of their school communities.

Replacing Existing Programmes

The Teacher Bonding Scheme will gradually replace the existing Voluntary Bonding Scheme (VBS) and the BeTTER Jobs Programme. From October 2025, these two programmes will be closed to new applicants, with TBS becoming the sole scheme in operation. Teachers already enrolled in VBS and BeTTER will continue to receive their entitlements.

By 2030, the new scheme will represent an annual investment of $7.5 million, reflecting the Government’s long-term commitment to tackling inequities in school staffing.

Building a Stronger Education System

Minister Stanford described the initiative as both practical and forward-looking. “This is a practical, forward-looking solution that acknowledges schools’ recruitment challenges vary across regions and within urban areas, and I look forward to the results it will produce for our young people.”

The TBS is expected to help stabilise staffing in schools that have traditionally struggled, improving student learning outcomes while strengthening New Zealand’s overall education system.