ISA welcomes the major parties’ commitments to invest in teachers if elected. Plans to boost teacher education will benefit students and Australia.
Plans to boost teacher education will benefit students and Australia Independent Schools Australia (ISA) welcomes the major parties’ commitments to invest in teachers if elected.
Labor today announced its plans to incentivise high achieving school-leavers and professionals to choose teaching as a profession with top up payments for students who do their placements in regional areas, and to keep high achieving teachers in the classroom.
The Coalition has also committed to invest in teacher training, including additional funding for ‘Teach for Australia’ and La Trobe’s Nexus program.
Research shows that far fewer high achievers are choosing to study teaching today than 30 years ago.
Australia has been experiencing a shortage of high calibre teachers for some time and especially in the STEM areas of science, technology, engineering and maths. This shortage affects all school sectors in Australia.
ISA Chief Executive Officer, Ms Margery Evans said today, “Anything that attracts more talented people into the teaching profession is good news, particularly if our best and brightest are encouraged to work in regional and remote parts of the country and stay in classrooms.
“Teaching is an immensely valuable profession and it should be recognised as such.
“Boosting the number of talented teachers in our schools is a smart thing to do.
“Not only do students benefit from having an enthusiastic and capable teacher, the whole of Australia benefits from having a well educated population that is engaged in civic life, whatever endeavours individuals choose,” Ms Evans said.
Independent schools employ more than 18 per cent of Australia’s teachers, which amounts to 56,724 full time equivalent teachers across the nation (based on 2021 numbers).
ISA is the peak body representing 1,187 Independent schools with 667,259 enrolled students.
ISA Media Contact: comms@isa.edu.au