Education Minister Erica Stanford says a shortfall of secondary teachers is chronic across the country.

The Government has announced a residency fast track for overseas teachers, in a bid to plug the gaps.

Stanford, also the Immigration Minister, says by the end of the year we'll be 227 teachers short.

"Next year- rising to about 550 and then the year after that, 679. And when I saw those figures at the end of last year, I believe it was, I had a small heart attack because those are big numbers."

LISTEN ABOVE