The Department of Education is to expand an incentive program which aims to attract more teachers to rural and remote areas across the State.
Announced by Deputy Premier, Paul Toole and Minister for Education, Sarah Mitchell, the Rural and Remote Incentives Reform Program is to expand to include temporary teachers and double the bonuses for teachers taking up jobs in regional NSW.
“Making the decision to leave home and take up a teaching job in an unfamiliar town, often away from family and friends, isn’t easy,” Mr Toole said.
He said under the Program, temporary teachers would receive an additional salary of up to $30,000 as well travel, living and housing incentives.
Ms Mitchell said the additional access to incentives for temporary teachers were crucial to encouraging more teachers to work in regional NSW.
“Temporary staff are vital to our system – they provide flexibility to schools and staff and it’s important we support them in the same way we support other staff in rural and remote areas,” she said.
“We will also double the teacher recruitment funding from $10,000 to $20,000, giving eligible teachers an additional $20,000 on top of their teaching salaries to teach in the regions.”
The Program expansion follows the final report of Rural and Remote Incentives Review released in September which, amongst other things, recommended a simplification of the incentives scheme, wider eligibility criteria and better targeting for retention and attraction.
Ms Mitchell said the Review was the first time all aspects of the system had been inspected to make it fair and flexible and allow teachers to create a package that worked best for them and their circumstances.
The Department’s 146-page Review Report can be downloaded at this PS News link.
