Six weeks training could be enough to put some teachers in front of classes in low decile schools.
Teach First NZ and Auckland University are developing a programme which will recruit 20 people next month who already have degrees to a programme which will train them for six weeks.
Those who graduate from the programme would be placed in low-decile secondary schools and in subject areas where teachers are in short supply.
"The course is condensed, so what you would get on a year-long course can be achieved in six weeks," University of Auckland's dean of education, Graeme Aitken told the Herald on Sunday.
"A year-long course has a lot of non-contact time, when trainees are out in schools."
Teach First's website says it is a non-profit organisation aiming to cut education inequality. Its students give a two-year commitment to teach in low-decile secondary schools.
Teach First chief executive Shaun Sutton, who took part in a similar scheme in Britain, said they wanted to attract people who understand socio-economic realities.
"We want to diversify the pool of graduates and hope to get Maori and Pasifika applicants."
Post Primary Teachers' Association president Robin Duff was concerned there may be tensions between teachers with standard training and those from the Teach First scheme, which he called "a fast-track course".
"It costs a lot of money to take part in a year-long training programme; fast track students are being paid while they train."
NZN