A new survey of 6800 educators across NSW shows an increase in teachers leaving public education for a position in a private school.
Teachers are being offered almost $30,000 bonuses in a bid to lure educators to hard-to-staff schools as the state grapples with shortages six months after announcing historic wage rises.
“Even offering bonuses of $20,000 for physics teachers, I’ve had very few applicants,” said one principal, speaking anonymously because they are not authorised to talk publicly. “And if we can’t offer those high-end, difficult subjects, then parents pull their kids out and send them to private schools.”
About 18 per cent of those surveyed said the most common reason teachers were leaving their roles was to move to a private school, while half said they had noticed a decline in student engagement in the past year. The NSW government, which is demanding its federal counterparts lift their share of public school funding by $8.2 billion over 10 years, has recently slashed school budgets by $150 million amid sliding enrolments.
New figures show there were 1947 full-time teaching positions vacant in April, down slightly from 2132 at the same time last year. Principal and executive vacancies have flatlined, with 73 and 606 empty roles respectively. More than 100 schools are now offering bumper payments, with Ryde Secondary College and Killarney Heights High offering $20,000 bonuses for science and technology teachers. Shortages are most acute in regional and rural NSW.Haythorpe said classes merged or run without teachers is evidence of the “need to make sure we have funding in place for more teachers and more specialist support for those kids who need it the most”.
Australia Latest News, Australia Headlines
Similar News:You can also read news stories similar to this one that we have collected from other news sources.
Macquarie-backed renewables developer shops NSW solar farmUp for grabs is a 143-megawatt peak ready-to-build solar and energy storage project in the Riverina region.
Read more »
NSW Health settles largest underpayment class action outcome for junior doctors alleging underpaymentLaw firms involved in the case said it was the largest underpayment class action outcome in Australian legal history.
Read more »
Chris Minns to meet with Queensland father behind Jack's Law after NSW knife attacksThe legislation grants police the power to use metal-detecting wands to search people for weapon possession.
Read more »
NSW government seeking urgent advice to reform bail laws for domestic violence offencesThe announcement comes amid a series of high-profile murders of women allegedly by their partners.
Read more »
NSW Health settles ‘record’ underpayment class action case brought by junior doctors7NEWS brings you the latest local news from Australia and around the world. Stay up to date with all of the breaking sport, politics, entertainment, finance, weather and business headlines. Today's news, live updates & all the latest breaking stories from 7NEWS.
Read more »
Motorist Damon James Turnbull-Fielding sentenced for killing cyclist while watching YouTube in NSWDamon James Turnbull-Fielding was watching an instructional YouTube video while driving his vehicle on NSW's Central Coast during 2021 when he failed to negotiate a right-hand turn and fatally struck a 68-year-old cyclist.
Read more »