Filling critical teacher gaps

State and territory efforts to encourage more people to take up teaching degrees received a boost from the federal government this year with new federal scholarships and financial support during practicums.

Applications for the second round of Commonwealth Teaching Scholarships will open later this year, with another 1000 on the table.

The government is also putting $2.4 million into a strategy to attract and retain more Aboriginal teachers and Torres Strait Islander teachers.

Meanwhile, the new Commonwealth Practicum Payment will help support teaching students from 1 July 2025 while they are undertaking their placements.

Scholarships offered by state and territory governments and not-for-profit organisations, such as the Public Education Foundation, are already helping to smooth the way for aspiring teachers, but more support is needed.

The federal Department of Education predicts a shortage of 4100 teachers by 2025. Fewer people are choosing to enrol in teaching degrees and dropout rates are significant, with only about half the students completing their degree.

About 20 per cent of graduates leave the profession within the first three years, according to federal government data, and many experienced teachers are leaving before retirement age.

The AEU’s latest research has revealed teacher shortages at almost 83 per cent of 953 schools. While that's less than last year's record highs, it remains at almost triple historic rates.

About 40 per cent of principals in the 2024 AEU State of our Schools survey reported an increase in pre-retirement resignations from teachers over the past year. Some are moving to a non-education role (26.8 per cent) or to a private school (18.5 per cent). Others are taking a break from employment (21.1 per cent).

More than half of the principals (51 per cent) surveyed said it had become much harder to suitably fill staff vacancies across all areas of the curriculum, and another 30 per cent said it was harder.

Some schools were forced to run classes without a teacher, split or merge classes, or reduce the range of specialist classes offered.

Almost one third of 12,381 teachers surveyed (30 per cent) said they planned to leave teaching before retirement, and only 15 per cent were certain that they would not leave.

Heavy workloads (68 per cent) and the burden of admin and compliance work (43 per cent) were the main reasons for wanting to leave, but teachers are also finding student management issues increasingly cumbersome.

The National Teacher Action Workforce Action Plan, developed in 2022, called on state and territory governments to act on teacher shortages.

The federal government is taking further steps to mitigate the crisis, building on initiatives such as the Workload Reduction Fund and HECS relief.

Commonwealth scholarships

The federal government is hoping to encourage more people to undertake initial teacher education (ITE), offering a total of 5000 scholarships to students commencing full-time studies in the years 2024 to 2028. The scholarship offers undergraduates $40,000 spread across four years. Postgraduates receive $20,000 spread across two years.

The scholarships include a "commitment to teach" in public schools or early learning settings. The commitment will be the equivalent to the years of study undertaken, up to four years for undergraduates and up to two years for postgraduates.

Scholarship recipients who complete their final practical experience placement in a remote location may be eligible for a top-up payment of $2000.

Commonwealth Practicum Payments

Helping to prevent "practicum poverty" is behind another new initiative aimed at addressing teacher shortages.

AEU federal president Correna Haythorpe says students have carried the financial burdens of their practicums for too long.

“They’ve often had to give up part-time work and experienced placement poverty for weeks on end while finishing their studies," she says.

Students who are women, mature-age, lower socio-economic, and/or from an Aboriginal or Torres Strait background often carry the heaviest burdens as they juggle study with paid work and caring responsibilities.

From 1 July 2025, eligible students will be able to access $319.50 per week while they are undertaking an unpaid mandatory placement.

The payment will be means-tested and will not replace any existing support currently available to students via state and territory governments.

First Nations Teacher Strategy

Attracting and retaining Aboriginal teachers and Torres Strait Islander teachers is another area being targeted by government. It has allocated $2.4 million to develop and implement the First Nations Teacher Strategy.

The strategy will be developed in partnership with a First Nations organisation and aims to improve ITE completion rates; successfully transition and support Aboriginal people and Torres Strait Islander people into teaching roles; and build cultural responsiveness across education settings.

In 2020, an estimated 6577 Aboriginal teachers and Torres Strait Islander teachers were registered nationally. Just under half the registered teachers (48 per cent) were based in regional and remote areas.

Dyonne Anderson, a Githabul woman who is chief executive of the Stronger Smarter Institute and president of the National Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Principals’ Association (NATSIPA), says at least 77 per cent of schools have Aboriginal students and Torres Strait Islander students enrolled, 84 per cent of those are in government schools.

“Yet we form 1.4 per cent of the professional teaching workforce and even less if you are a principal of a school,” she says. Anderson stresses the importance of increasing the number of Aboriginal teachers and Torres Strait Islander teachers given the growth in the Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander student population. Numbers are up by 46 per cent since 2018 compared with a 12 per cent increase for all other students.

“Non-Aboriginal teachers will, at some time in their career, be exposed to Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander students and it very much concerns me that we are not setting up teachers to be culturally responsive,” says Anderson.

“There are teachers with bias who don’t even know that their own upbringing and their white middle-class views can be harmful and they have misinformation around our students.”

There is also a need to increase mentoring support to prevent graduate teachers from leaving within the first five years, says Anderson.

“We have an increasing number of First Nations principals who are coming to the end of their careers so there’s going to be a gap in regard to the supports and mentoring that needs to occur to set First Nations teachers up for success.”

A First Nations mentoring scheme was introduced by the NSW Department of Education in partnership with NATSIPA. The scheme linked experienced principals with Aboriginal teachers and Torres Strait Islander teachers who had up to six years’ experience.

Anderson says the aspiring leaders need support from educators who know the system but also understand the additional challenges of Culture and cultural responsibilities and racism.

Coaching and mentoring modules based on a Stronger Smarter Approach framework were designed and delivered, resulting in a significant shift, says Anderson.

“Middle leaders moved into principalship roles while others were promoted to additional executive roles including director."

After visiting 92 schools, many in remote communities, in her role on the National School Reform Agreement expert panel, Anderson advocates recognising alternative pathways to boost teacher numbers.

“Some of the First Nations support teachers were the most outstanding teachers I have seen. They were able to instruct in language and then in English, English being their third, fourth language and they had so much respect from the children within the classrooms. With alternative pathways and recognition of prior learning we would not be facing a teacher shortage.”

Full funding is vital

While the AEU has welcomed the latest federal government initiatives, it is urging the government to do more to support the teaching workforce by fulfilling its promise to fully fund every child across Australia.

Haythorpe says the teacher shortages are directly connected to funding shortfalls. Australia’s 6712 public schools are underfunded by $6.5 billion this year and by at least $6.2 billion every year to 2028, a total of $31.7 billion over five years to 2028.

“The failure to invest in our schools across the past decade has meant that we’ve got an attraction and retention problem, so it’s no accident that this is where we’re at,” she says.

Haythorpe says more needs to be done including to address chronic workloads and to fully fund professional development and mentoring programs to support teachers as they begin their careers.

Full funding would allow for smaller class sizes and increased support staff in classrooms, reducing the immense pressure felt by teachers and trainee teachers across the country.

Scholarship fuels career change

When Catherine Spencer made a career change from the corporate world to special education teaching, a scholarship helped smooth the way.

She was feeling her way into a new career when she came across the Teacher Education Scholarships offered through the NSW Department of Education.

The scholarship currently offers up to $7500 per year, a $6000 appointment allowance, and a permanent teaching position following the successful completion of studies.

To be eligible you must be enrolled in an ITE degree, or studying to become a secondary teacher, or inclusive/special education teacher.

Spencer saw special education teaching as a chance to give back. Her son had faced some challenges at school and the amazing support he received from his public school led her to consider a teaching career.

The scholarship helped cement her decision: “It provided me with an opportunity to study and then work in the public school system with students who have complex support needs.”

She was hooked from her first practicum: “It was a mainstream prac but as soon as I did it, I knew this is what I want to do.”

Now an assistant principal and Year 7 and 9 teacher at William Rose School, a special education school in Sydney’s north-west, and on the verge of completing her Masters in Education with a focus on special education, she has no plans to leave the teaching profession any time soon.

Mentoring is the added bonus

Larissa Boyes tells anyone who will listen how much she loves the Teacher Intern Placement Program (TIPP) in Tasmania.

“I highly recommend it to anyone I speak to,” she says.

The program for pre-service teachers offers a $30,000 scholarship with recipients completing their final year of study in a Tasmanian public school.

During that year they work alongside an experienced mentor teacher and there is the potential for paid employment in Terms 3 and 4 on a limited authority-to-teach. The mentor is given dedicated time to support the recipient’s development and the recipient is given time to study.

Now teaching Year 3/4 three days a week at Burnie Primary School in Tasmania’s north-west, Boyes raves about the guidance provided by her mentor, Year 1 teacher Kendall Sandman. From policies and resources to practical pointers, the mentoring has proved invaluable.

“So many little helpful tips and tricks – I’ve come into the classroom already having a good idea of how I want to handle things, how to set up group work, how to set up routines, and expectations and behaviours,” says Boyes.

“We are constantly talking about my practice, about how lessons have gone, what would I want to do to further improve them.”

As a teacher’s aide in a kindergarten class for four years, Boyes worked with a lot of teachers new to the profession: “So many of them have told me that they weren’t prepared, they didn’t know what to expect heading into the classroom.”

Refugee support and mentoring

Rasha Alzahri missed four years of her primary school education when her family left war-torn Iraq and moved to Australia via Jordan.

It’s an experience that has given her empathy for other children in a similar position and fuelled her desire to become a teacher.

“I just wanted to be around children and help them as well,” she says.

Having recently successfully completed her first practicum with Year 3 students in Sydney’s western suburbs she’s determined to keep going with her full-time studies.

A $12,000 scholarship via the Public Education Foundation, a national not-for-profit organisation, helps cover the cost of her studies, paying for a laptop, tutoring fees, and transport. She is grateful that the financial support allows her to focus solely on her studies.

“It’s very hard to work and maintain a job while doing full-time university, and because it is in another language it’s really hard. I need extra time to study and to do my assignments,” she says.

When she graduates, she’s keen to teach in Sydney’s western suburbs, where many children have a refugee or migrant background.

“I want to be surrounded by children and help them grow and develop from what I can provide for them,” she says.

Leadership goals

Second year university student Yara Salman has appreciated having the help of a scholarship as she’s taken her first steps towards a career in teaching.

“I’d like to have a class at the start and then the more experienced I get, I’d like to be in leadership roles in schools.”

Like Alzahri, she missed four years of her primary school education when her family left Iraq and she’s now making up for lost time.

“When I came to Australia and saw the education system and the teachers here I was inspired to become a teacher and be a role model for children,” she says.

A $12,000 Public Education Foundation scholarship spread across three years has helped cover the cost of a laptop, printer, university tuition and fees, and travelling expenses.

She encourages other students to apply for a scholarship. “Sometimes students are scared to apply, even me, what if it’s not accepted?”

The scholarship also connects recipients with support of another kind: a mentor.

“You can schedule monthly meetings. You can speak to them, seek advice, have a little chat,” Salman says.30 September 2024

By Christine Long

This article was originally published in the Australian Educator, Spring 2024