With global teacher shortages at an all-time high, retaining and recruiting teachers to the education sector is critical. Yet with fragmented support and inconsistent induction processes, nearly a fifth of early career teachers choose to leave within five years.
Education experts at the University of South Australia say that to address teacher shortages, Australia must develop stronger government policies focused on the retention and career development of early career teachers, particularly those in casual and short-term contract roles.
In a new study - conducted in partnership with Western Sydney University, Griffith University, RMIT, and Monash University - researchers examined education induction policies for casual and contract early career teachers from 2016 and 2023, finding that while progress had been made, significant gaps and inequities remained.
Chief researcher and member of the UniSA's Centre for Research in Educational and Social Inclusion, Professor Anna Sullivan, says government policy makers and schools must improve induction procedures for all teacher cohorts.
"Casual and contract teachers are essential to the teacher workforce. They cover everything from teacher absenteeism to professional learning and administrative duties, and without them schools would struggle to deliver effective teaching and learning," Prof Sullivan says.
"Yet the current policy responses do little to recognise or support casual relief or short-term contract teachers.
"Our study shows that current teacher induction guidelines mainly cater for teachers with secure employment, creating systemic inequities for those in casual or contract roles.
"The irony is that more than half of early career teachers are employed in casual or on short-term contracts. If we don't appropriately support new teachers entering the profession, retention issues will continue."
UNESCO reports an urgent need for 44 million primary and secondary teachers worldwide by 2030.
To safeguard the quality and sustainability of the education workforce, policy makers must urgently introduce and prioritise mandated induction support structures, targeted development pathways, and systemic human resource reform for substitute and temporary teachers.
UniSA PhD researcher, Emily Rowe says the education system must provide support and professional learning for all early career teachers, not just permanent staff.
"Effective induction relies on teachers having long-term, continuous employment at one school where they can access regular mentoring, establish relationships, and gain support to develop professional practices," Rowe says.
"Yet the reality is that only 45% of casual relief teachers receive a formal induction. Many early career teachers experience alienation, culture shock, and a lack of systemic support.
"Current induction guidelines place responsibility on teachers to manage their own career progression by building networks and collecting evidence for their portfolios. This puts the onus on new teachers to guide their own induction, rather than receive structured support from schools when they need it most.
"Education systems need to nurture talent to keep it. This is vital for attracting and retaining teachers and ensuring that they have fulfilling and long-term careers."
The full paper is located here: Rowe, E. et al. (2025) 'Precariously employed early career teachers and induction policies: a critical policy study', Journal of Education Policy, pp. 1-19
