About 75% of vacancies are in the North Island, with 125 in Auckland alone.
Last year, the Ministry of Education’s Teacher Demand and Supply report warned schools could be short 1,250 teachers due to roll growth and increased classroom release time.
Primary schools will need 1,550 more teachers over the next three years, with secondary schools requiring 1,035.
Secondary Principals Council chair Steve McCracken said multiple factors are driving the shortage.
“We’ve got an ageing workforce population and a number of teachers are nearing the end of their careers,” he said.
“And we’ve got a workforce that, at the end of last year, went into bargaining for pay and equity, so that would have had an impact as well.”
Maths and physics remain the hardest subjects to fill, with 18 vacancies at secondary schools – about 13% at this level.
McCracken added vacancies are taking longer to fill than in the past.
“But at the end of the day, we want quality teachers in front of students to give them the best academic outcomes that they can.”
PPTA president Chris Abercrombie said it was concerning to see an increase in vacancies in January.
“The principals are in a really sore situation of trying to find staff, and will be, unfortunately making decisions, very quickly in some of these areas.”
Despite the challenges, McCracken said schools are committed to ensuring students are well supported as the year begins.
“The schools that are still looking for teachers will make do and make sure that their students are well supported as they enter the school year,” he said.
Jaime Cunningham is a Christchurch-based reporter with a focus on education, social issues and general news. She joined Newstalk ZB in 2023 after working as a sports reporter at the Christchurch Star.