Alexia Cochrane has wanted to be a teacher since she was five years old.
Dedication, numerous part-time jobs and a $65,000 student loan helped get her through years of study and within reach of teaching her own class of young minds.
But like many aspiring teachers, the 22-year-old Waikato University master’s student says recent teacher strikes and talk of a crisis in education have her questioning her career path.
“I’ve met people with such a passion and drive for teaching who, once they go teaching, say they may only last three or four years,” Cochrane said.
“That’s devastating, because kids deserve people who are fully invested in them.”
“Teaching as a profession seems to be undervalued and I keep asking myself how long can I keep defending my passion?”
Source: Trainee teachers share aspirations, apprehensions | Stuff.co.nz