The border exception for 300 school teachers announced in July is looking to be another fancy headline bereft of any actual delivery, National’s Immigration spokesperson Erica Stanford says.
“The Secretary for Education shockingly admitted on Wednesday that no teachers have actually entered the country yet and that they may not start arriving until after April 2022.
"To no surprise, officials admitted that teachers simply couldn't find spots in MIQ.
"This Government is great at making announcements but terrible on actually delivering. They have announced numerous border exception categories for desperately needed workers, but very few have actually arrived in New Zealand because they have to contend with the MIQ lottery of human misery.
"Schools desperately need STEM teachers in front of students at the start of term 1 next year. There are teachers offshore who have signed contracts with schools but the uncertainty of actually getting in to New Zealand will cause them to look to other countries like Australia and Canada, and our kids miss out.
"If the Government won't end MIQ, then I'm calling on the Minister to allocate spots for these 300 teachers in January. We need teachers here in New Zealand and in front of kids from the start of term 1 next year."