The Department of Education has launched a new strategy to create pathways into teaching careers and place high-quality teachers where they are most needed.
Announcing the Strategy, Minister for Education and Early Childhood Learning, Sarah Mitchell said the Department’s NSW Teacher Supply Strategy would enable it to create new opportunities and pathways to attract great people to “one of the most rewarding professions”.
“The nature of work in schools has changed, people’s expectations of work have changed and people themselves have changed, however, our approach to attracting, developing and retaining teachers has remained largely unchanged,” Ms Mitchell said.
“A one-size-fits-all approach to boosting the teaching profession ignores the complexity of the modern workforce and the varied requirements of people aspiring to become teachers and of those already in our classrooms,” she said.
“That’s why this Strategy is needed.”
Ms Mitchell said the Strategy consisted of three main pillars, to grow overall supply of teachers; encourage more teachers to upskill; and provide targeted support in areas of need.
The Minister said the first part of the Strategy would see more people brought into teaching, through recruitment and new opportunities for more people to become teachers in NSW without compromising quality.
“Secondly, we want to deepen expertise and teachers in specialist roles through scholarships and retraining opportunities for our existing staff,” she said.
“And last but not least, we need our great teachers to be in the right places, where students most need them.”
Ms Mitchell said the Strategy would draw from the recent Review of Rural and Remote Incentives in NSW Public Schools, and other initiatives, to achieve this last goal.
The Department’s 12-page Teacher Supply Strategy can be accessed at this PS News link.
