Schools stretched as English learner numbers hit record high

More than 90,000 students are receiving help learning English in schools this year - double a decade ago - as migration levels and demand continue to outstrip schools’ capacity.

Ministry of Education data shows 90,770 students across 1754 schools received ESOL funding this year - the highest on record - and up from about 39,000 in 2016.

More than 80% are in primary schools.

Indian students make up 20% of those receiving support with 18,737 students, followed by Filipino and Chinese.
Over half (61%) are migrants, about a third were born in New Zealand, and 3% are former refugees.

The figures come amid continued migration inflows, with a net 24,000 migrants arriving in the year to March.

But Teachers of English to Other Languages Aotearoa New Zealand (TESOL) President Gwenna Finikin said the figures do not reflect the full extent of need in schools.

“When I look at my school, probably two-thirds are from originally non-English speaking backgrounds, but some of them just don’t make the cuts to even go for funding because there’s not the funding available and also it’s just so difficult personnel wise to give them all the service.”

Finikin said schools are working within constrained staffing and resourcing, often stretching general teaching capacity to meet specialist needs.

“Schools will always do their best, but [the system] is very stressed because children show up and we don’t necessarily have trained staff.”

She said schools are frequently relying on non-specialist staff as a result.

“Some are having to use teacher aides to take groups and then their learning support coordinator will have to do the planning for that,” she said.

“And the learning support coordinators aren’t necessarily trained in ESOL either.”

Finikin said that creates a “huge mismatch” between need and available support.

She also pointed to the diversity of children growing, as many ESOL students also need learning support for disabilities or behavioural issues.

Finikin said in her school’s Ongoing Resource Scheme programme — for students with the highest learning needs — only one child from a New Zealand English-speaking background has participated in the past 10 years, with all others from migrant backgrounds.

She added funding has not kept pace with demand, with schools often forced into difficult allocation decisions.

The Ministry of Education provides ESOL funding in addition to a school’s operational grant, with rates set at $780 per year for Year 0–8 students and $1000 per year for Year 9–13 students (ex GST).

National Services and Programmes Group Service Manager Andrea Williams said the most recent increase came in Budget 2020, when rates rose from $700 to $780 for primary students and from $900 to $1000 for secondary students.

Migration peaked in the year to October 2023, with around 130,000 net arrivals, before easing more recently.

“While the funding rate has not increased, this year’s Budget provides a further $10 million for ESOL in schools, bringing the annual budget to $73 million,” she said.

Williams also confirmed a decision, announced last month, to cut Year 0–1 eligibility for the rest of this year had been reversed, for both currently funded students and new entrants.

Finikin said the issue is not only funding, but workforce capability and training.

She said schools need more resourcing to employ specialist staff, alongside better training for those working in classrooms.

Without that, she said, schools will continue to absorb rising demand without the capacity to fully respond.

“If we’re a country that’s going to encourage migrancy, then we need to be a country that supports the children who those migrants bring with them.”

“Because if we’re saying you can only come, but not if your child’s going to cost us money, then we’re saying we don’t actually want the next generation.”

Jaime Cunningham is a Christchurch-based reporter with a focus on education and general news. She joined Newstalk ZB in 2023 after working as a sports reporter at the Christchurch Star.