Primary school teachers are launching a campaign to highlight the staffing crisis in schools.
Currently 90 percent of children start school within two weeks of their fifth birthday. Photo: 123RF
They say the number of trainee teachers has fallen by 40 percent and within a decade New Zealand may be short by as many as 2000 primary teachers.
Teachers also plan to strike next week.
The campaign paid for by the Education Institute includes bill-stickers, billboards and online videos.
Teachers are also preparing for a community action day on Friday.
The union said most teachers had been offered a pay rise of about 2.5 percent a year for three years, and just 12 minutes extra time a week to work individually with children or plan and assess learning.
They want a 16 percent pay rise over two years.