New staffing entitlement for learning support coordinators
A new entitlement aimed to improve access to learning support coordinators for schools with students Years 1 to 8 has been introduced.
In-school learning support coordinators (LSCs) will be available to schools for learners in Years 1 to 8 from Term 1, 2026 to Term 4, 2028 through a new staffing entitlement.
Currently, some regions have 18 percent access to an LSC and others have 57 percent, says the Ministry of Education. In 2026, 60 percent of every region will be able to access staffing entitlement for an LSC, benefiting over 100,000 learners. In 2027, that will increase to 80 percent, and in 2028, all schools will have access to the LSC entitlement.
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Schools who access LSCs through clusters will continue to do so.
Education Minister Erica Stanford said the fund “will allow schools to identify and respond to student needs sooner by bringing dedicated learning support into schools earlier and closer to those who need it most.
“Parents, teachers and principals have been crying out for this support. Parents can be confident we are putting their child’s needs at the centre of the education system. A dedicated staff member who can screen for common neurodiverse needs like dyslexia and put strategies in place will give teachers more time to focus on what they do next, quality teaching in the classroom.”
Ripeka Lessels, Te Manukura | president of NZEI Te Riu Roa says the union has been calling for the completion of the LSC rollout for many years and “strongly supports improved staffing in schools for learning support”.
However, Lessels cautioned it was “not a silver bullet.
“Teachers are crying out for a teacher aide in every classroom and more specialists to meet the needs of their students.”
Members of NZEI Te Riu Roa are also concerned about where they will source the extra LSCs, which are a highly specialised role.
“School leaders are concerned about how they will find teachers with the experience and knowledge for LSC roles when the sector is already suffering from a major teacher shortage,” said Lessels.
Keith Street School in Whanganui is among the schools who will receive funding for an LSC next year.
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Principal Linda Ireton said it was “a really great move”, and that the school was excited. However, she was concerned the entitlement was roll-based.
“A school like ours has a high percentage of students on the SENCO register, but a smaller roll than perhaps a low-equity index school, or, in the old days, a high-decile school. The high-decile school will get more FTTE for a learning support coordinator. I’m glad for them but sad for us. We will still have a lot of work to do without the FTTE for it.”
Churton School, also in Whanganui, will receive an LSC allowance in 2027. Principal Cara Barron said “it’s interesting how quickly we’ve been expected to adapt to curriculum change and new assessment practices, and yet, any real practical support in the classroom will be a year and a half to two years away.”
The entitlement is partly funded by changes such as the disestablishment of resource teachers of literacy (RTLits) and resource teachers Māori at the end of the year.
