The number of empty teaching places in secondary schools is the highest in almost 10 years.
Schools across the country are still struggling to fill vacant positions, just days from the start of the new school year.
Hundreds of vacancies are still being advertised in the Education Gazette, the Ministry of Education's magazine for the education sector.
Term one starts next week, and there are fears classes could be cut. Big question marks remain over some subjects and timetables.
Teacher shortages in secondary schools are at their highest since 2008, according to data compiled by the Post Primary Teachers Association (PPTA).
More than 300 jobs were advertised last year, and data shows a steady increase in the number of vacancies over the last three years from a 2013 low.
The PPTA describes the secondary teacher shortage as ``crisis point''.
``There are vacancies in many subject areas and in many geographical areas,'' it says, adding recruitment is in decline and schools are losing teachers.
``Principals are considering the prospect of cancelling subjects for lack of trained and qualified secondary specialists.''
The organisation has previously described the problem as ``chronic'', telling the Herald such shortages put pressure on schools to fix timetables and ensure subject courses go ahead.
In recent weeks, the problem has been described as a ``nightmare'', and a ``potential disaster'' in the long term.
This morning, Labour's education spokesman Chris Hipkins blamed the Government, saying spending on teacher recruitment had sunk during National's time in office.
``National has ignored looming teacher shortages the entire time they've been in Government,'' he said.
``Their chickens are coming home to roost.''
Critical teaching shortages had grown, he said, as funding to programmes that helped recruit people into the profession had dropped.
``Since they took office, National has stripped over $6 million out of the Teach NZ programme, which aims to ensure an adequate supply of teachers in schools and early childhood services,'' Hipkins said, adding it was now half what it was when National took office.
``News that schools in Auckland are facing a teacher supply crisis comes as no surprise,'' he said.
``Quality teaching is the most critical component of a quality education. National has ignored the need to recruit and retain excellent new teachers for too long.''
In December, the Herald reported hundreds of teaching positions were vacant.
More than 600 teaching jobs were waiting to be filled across the country. Schools were struggling to arrange timetables and classes for the new year.
Nearly 200 of those vacancies were in crucial science and maths areas, which have become increasingly difficult to fill as science, engineering and maths university graduates get picked up by high-paying corporate and private sector companies.
Meanwhile, Auckland's ``ridiculous'' house prices have been blamed for escalating the teacher shortage in the country's largest city, forcing young teachers out.
Three young teachers in critical science jobs from Mt Albert Grammar in central Auckland fled the city at the end of the last school year, pointing the finger at the cost of buying a home for their decision to leave.
