KEEPING TEACHERS IN THE PROFESSION

And in more detail...

"Valuing the Teaching Profession," a report commissioned by the NSW Teacher’s Federation and the Grattan Institute’s 2020 Top Teachers Report, both landed on common ground. The Grattan report said it best, concluding that an “expert teacher career path” needed to be created for the top 1% of teachers who would have dedicated roles with extra responsibilities. These expert teachers would then lead the professional learning and development of the entire workforce. Teachers who have reached the level of expert should expect a salary of $180,000.00pa. There would be other career steps with a pay scale to match leading up to this professional pinnacle. Meanwhile, the pay rates for all teachers would be increased by up to 15%.

Anyone who has had at least one great teacher during their schooling knows what a difference that can make to one’s interest in learning, an interest that can last a lifetime.

The Good Party will champion the findings of these reports.

"Anyone who has had at least one great teacher during their schooling knows what a difference that can make to one’s interest in learning, an interest that can last a lifetime

Building teaching resources

The Good Party would also support the establishment of a national resource for teaching that incorporates elements such as videos demonstrating high-quality teaching methods for all subjects, ages, and curricula, rosters of university students available for paid in-class tutoring, and a variety of learning and teaching tool modules to assist teachers in classrooms. With such a resource at hand, teachers won’t have to create every lesson from scratch, and consistency will be brought to what and how our children are taught.

Generating more interest in teaching as a career

In addition to overcoming systemic challenges identified by teachers already in the system, more work needs to be done to raise the teaching profession as a career choice. Currently, the fees incurred at university for a teaching degree in secondary schools can top out at around $65,000.00. The maximum HECS debt currently allowable is a little over $104,000.00, which you must start repaying when you earn around $48,000. Choosing to study for a career in teaching could be made far more attractive by waiving the balance of a HECS debt should a university graduate take up a teaching position and remain in the profession for four years.

Choosing to study for a career in teaching could be made far more attractive by waiving the balance of a HECS debt should a university graduate take up a teaching position and remain in the profession for four years

Attracting more teachers to the bush

If urban schools find it difficult to staff their classrooms, it's almost impossible for schools in regional centres and townships. Here again, a financial incentive might overcome resistance. If you’re a university graduate, whether you teach in the city or the country, you’ll begin repaying your HECS debt from your first pay packet. But what if the following carrot were offered: take up a position teaching in the bush and remain there (or move to another school in region), and your HECS debt will be fully reimbursed?

Talented, committed teachers in country schools are key to keeping regional centres and smaller towns viable communities. A measure such as this would prove that the government of the day has identified this as a priority.

Re-funding the state school system

Until recently, the federal government prioritised the funding of private schools over public schools.

The common misconception is that the parents who send their children to these private schools are wealthy and can well afford it. While that’s probably true for a percentage of parents, many mums and dads suffer considerable financial pain sending their kids to these schools but endure it because they don’t feel they have a choice if they want to provide their children with a quality education.

Under the current school funding agreement struck in 2019, the commonwealth contributes 80% of the “Schooling Resource Standard” (SRS) for private schools, while state governments are responsible for the remaining 20%. The split is reversed for public schools.

The net effect of this SRS system is that “Government funding for private schools in Australia has increased at nearly five times the rate of public-school funding over the past ten years according to new analysis, with predictions of a $74bn shortfall in money for public schools this decade despite the shift to a needs-based scheme.” [1]

The Good Party believe the funding imbalance needs to be redressed with federal government reinvestment in the state school system. Parents who send their children to state schools shouldn’t feel that the education provided is somehow second-rate.

[1] (https://www.theguardian.com/australia-news/2022/feb/16/private-school-funding-has-increased-at-five-times-rate-of-public-schools-analysis-shows)