New data reveals that some children are facing wait times of over six months to access learning support specialists.
The official figures, released by the education union NZEI Te Riu Roa, show that as of June, children in the Ministry of Education’s Tāmaki Herenga Tāngata subregion, which covers north and west Auckland, are waiting an average of 183 days. In the Bay of Plenty, the wait time is 177 days, while Wellington has an average wait of 146 days.
Mark Potter, president of the union, is urging the government to address what he describes as a “broken system failing children.”
“For a two or three-year-old, waiting six months for critical support is a major setback that hinders their learning progress,” Potter said. “According to the Education Review Office’s recent report, 20 percent of five-year-olds are struggling with speaking skills.”
The union’s data reveals similar delays in various learning support services for primary school students. These services include Communication Services (speech and language therapists), the Ongoing Resourcing Scheme (support for students with the highest needs), and Behaviour Service (specialists in social and emotional learning).
Potter attributes the long wait times to insufficient government investment and unfilled vacancies for specialist staff.
“This data underscores a severe and worsening crisis, with children bearing the brunt,” Potter added. “The government needs to move beyond discussion and increase funding for learning support services.”