The Ministry of Education has welcomed a group of new teachers to the Cook Islands ahead of the start of the 2025 school year.

This week, eight teachers and one principal are being inducted into their new roles, preparing for the school term which begins on January 20.

According to Terry Utanga, the director for the Human Resources Management Division, the new arrivals will be filling various teaching positions, including a principal for Araura College, who will travel to Aitutaki tomorrow.

Most of the teachers are designated for Tereora College, with additional staff heading to Titikaveka College and Nukutere College later on.

“So within this group are teachers for Tereora College mostly and later on, there will be one for Titikaveka College and then one other teacher for Nukutere College among this group,” Utanga said.

Secretary for Education, Owen Lewis acknowledged the new recruits for applying for this job and for them to come to Cook Islands.

The Ministry is hopeful that the new teachers are also learning a lot out through the induction programme as well as they are being entrusted with the children’s academic futures.

“I think it’s a two-way thing. We’ll get their expertise and then they get experience and a lifestyle for two years where they can actually focus a little bit differently, but by and large it’s a two-way thing. What do we want out of them? Ultimately, we want learning outcomes for our children,” Lewis said.

“It always goes back to our young people and it’s really important that they start to think about that as well. They’re (the expat teachers) here for two or three years, what can they give our children in that time?

“I think it’s important to keep it focused on the learning. That’s our expectations.”

The teachers, who arrived from a variety of countries including New Zealand, Fiji, and some to arrive from the Philippines, are set to teach subjects ranging from performing arts, health, physical education and technology.

Two more arrivals, including a principal for Tereora College, are expected later this week.

The induction process includes familiarising the teachers with their roles and assisting them in securing accommodation.

The teachers have been recruited as part of the Ministry’s annual recruitment drive, which began in July 2024.

With many teaching contracts ending at the close of 2024, the Ministry has worked to ensure schools are staffed with qualified educators for the upcoming year.

However, recruitment this year posed some challenges, particularly in attracting applicants from New Zealand.

“We found it difficult to recruit this year, lots of very few applications from New Zealand,” Utanga said.

“Why we want New Zealand is because of the NCEA, because these are for our secondary schools, Tereora and Titikaveka. So they need to have NCEA background. If not, the ability to train up and learn about NCEA.”

Despite these difficulties, Utanga expressed gratitude for the new arrivals and highlighted the importance of training and collaboration among teachers.

“For example, our Fijian ones, they are good teachers, but they have to pick up NCEA. They should be able to do that through their colleagues at Tereora College because they work in groups.”

The Ministry has also secured the return of two Cook Islanders who had been living abroad.

James Kora, the incoming principal from Araura College, and Teopoko Ngatua, a performing arts teacher from Tokoroa, are among those joining the local education system.

“We didn’t get many applications from our Cook Islanders living overseas. We tried to target them in our campaign, because we want Cook Islanders to come back,” said Utanga.

With the recruitment process ongoing, the Ministry continues to address staffing gaps due to retirements and resignations, ensuring that schools across the islands are prepared for a smooth start to the new school year.

“For Tereora, we are well on track to meet their staffing quota and are ready to start for next year,” Utanga confirmed.

Meanwhile, Lewis highlighted that the induction of these teachers is part of the Ministry’s efforts to maintain a high standard of education across the country, with further recruitment expected throughout the year.