High school invests in aspiring educators to address chronic teacher shortage

ABC NEWS (Australia)

Schools are facing a recruitment crisis, with dwindling teacher graduate numbers and thousands leaving the profession each year. Burnout is one of the reasons for the exodus. In Australia’s far north, one Catholic school is investing in new recruits to address the chronic teacher shortage.

Transcript

00:00A new generation of teacher not much older than her students.

00:07Can anyone tell me what we have learnt in Animal Farm so far?

00:12Olivia Parisi is on the way to living her dream.

00:15I feel like it's a commitment to inspiring others, watching people grow.

00:20After graduating from the same Cairns school she now works in,

00:24the 21-year-old took up a university scholarship

00:27that covers her four-year teaching degree.

00:30What do you think is going to happen next in the novel?

00:33It's paid by the Catholic Education Diocese in Cairns

00:36to address a critical teacher shortage across its schools.

00:40It absolutely is making a difference for us,

00:43partly because they feel that they've been supported, they're mentored,

00:48they've already got some connections and relationships with schools here in our diocese.

00:52It's not a cheap fix.

00:54The program has cost more than $200,000 since it started in 2022.

01:00But with dozens of scholarship recipients committing to at least two years

01:04with the diocese after graduating, it's worth it.

01:07We've got more people retiring than we've got people coming into the profession.

01:12So we just have to be more proactive.

01:16In the public system, Education Queensland also runs university scholarship programs for career changes

01:23and provides one-off university grants for some aspiring teachers graduating Year 12.

01:29It also has specific initiatives to attract and retain teachers.

01:34Its online interactive calculator estimates a teacher relocating to a remote school in North Queensland,

01:40where staff shortages are worst, could receive more than $10,000 in benefits and allowances.

01:47But critics want the state to do more to keep the teachers it already has.

01:52Teachers are feeling undervalued.

01:55It's not about the pay.

01:58That's just a nice way to be shown appreciation.

02:02But I think teachers are feeling a lack of trust in them as professionals.

02:07When Olivia Parisi takes the reins of her own classroom next year,

02:11she knows her workload will increase, but she's confident she has the support for long-term success.

02:18I've really been fortunate enough to have a network of people that I can go to

02:23with all my endless questions and my doubts that help guide me.

Category

Transcript

Be the first to comment

Recommended