Education and Training Minister Sue Ellery today announced a $9.8 million package of additional initiatives aimed at increasing the supply of teachers for Western Australia's public schools and strengthening employment pathways for aspiring teachers.
The initiatives, to be implemented ahead of the 2023 school year, are designed to increase the support on offer to pre-service teachers; incentivise being employed in schools that are experiencing the greatest staffing challenges; and attract graduates, former teachers and internationally qualified teachers to work in WA public schools.
The package of new measures includes:
- Provision of an Attraction and Retention Initiative payment of $5,000 to new and existing teachers working in education support schools and centres in 2023;
- Establishment of a pre-service Teacher Recruitment Pool to support pre-service teachers with limited registration in their final year of study while they are employed;
- Broader eligibility requirements to employ registered teachers with a three-year qualification, with targeted training to support those who are new to WA's public school system;
- Trialling Highly Accomplished, Lead Teacher (HALT) positions to support quality teaching in regional secondary schools experiencing staffing challenges; and
- Additional stipends of up to $700 per week for final year secondary pre-service teachers undertaking a placement in Science, Technology and Mathematics (STEM) learning areas.
In addition to increased stipends of up to $700 per week for final year secondary pre-service STEM teachers undertaking a professional experience placement in regional schools, for the first time, the STEM stipends of $250 per week will now be available in metropolitan schools.
This change doubles the existing stipends for final year secondary pre-service teachers undertaking a professional experience placement in STEM learning areas in regional schools.
The new stipends, available to assist with living and transport expenses from 2023, aim to help meet future demand for Science, Technology and Mathematics teachers in WA's public secondary schools.
There will be more opportunities for registered pre-service teachers to be employed in schools in their final year of study through the new pre-service teacher recruitment pool. Pre-service teachers employed through this pool will receive access to additional professional learning, induction support, State-wide resources and networking opportunities.
High-quality local and international teachers who meet the professional registration standards set by the Teacher Registration Board of Western Australia but attended a university already offering a three-year education degree (instead of four-year) will become eligible for employment in WA public schools. The Department of Education will provide schools with support to deliver additional training to those new to public education.
The removal of the four-year obstacle acknowledges that there are potentially experienced and quality teachers who are currently precluded from employment opportunities in WA public schools, and brings Department of Education qualification requirements into line with many non-government schools.
As an incentive for high-quality, aspirational teachers to relocate to a school with greater staffing challenges, a trial of the Highly Accomplished, Lead Teacher program will be implemented to reward experienced and exemplary teachers who can make a positive contribution to the delivery of education in regional locations.
These initiatives build on the $12.4 million Regional Incentive Framework recently announced to attract and retain quality teachers and administrators to 48 remote and regional public schools identified as requiring the greatest staffing support in 2023.
As stated by Education and Training Minister Sue Ellery:
"Teachers have an incredibly important role in helping to shape the futures of young Western Australians, so we must continue to attract teachers to public schools and keep them in our classrooms.
"We want WA's next generation of teachers to have a range of professional development opportunities as they launch their careers, setting them up for a successful working life in the public education system.
"We also need to have the right incentives in place to help staff the WA public schools that need teachers the most, and we have already made changes to our settings to ensure a steady supply.
"This package of new initiatives, which offers a combination of professional development, incentives and ongoing support, is an important investment in stronger employment pathways for teachers to work in WA public schools."
