The Department of Education has launched an international recruitment campaign targeting standout Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics (STEM) educators.
Minister for Education and Early Childhood Learning, Sarah Mitchell said the campaign aimed to bring more than 500 qualified STEM teachers from other countries and States into NSW classrooms by 2024.
Ms Mitchell said the plan to recruit international and interstate teachers was part of a broader strategy to boost and sustain a high-quality teaching workforce.
“There are more than 91,000 teachers employed in NSW public schools, and we are opening the door to even more expert teachers looking to teach in our great system,” Ms Mitchell said.
“Our education system is amongst the largest in the world, and I am confident that by opening the door to more high-quality teachers from other jurisdictions, we will also become amongst the highest performing in the world,” she said.
Ms Mitchell said the Department’s campaign built on its recently announced new employment-based pathways into teaching
The Minister said it also aligned with the Productivity Commission’s White Paper recommendation to leverage the status of NSW and entice great teachers to work in the State.
“NSW is an incredible place to live and work – attracting the best teachers from around the world will help turbocharge our recovery from the pandemic by ensuring our students have access to more high-quality teachers,” she said.
“Our State boasts the biggest education system in the southern hemisphere and we should be using that position to attract the best teachers from around the country and the world to help our students get ahead.”
Ms Mitchell said the overseas focus of the campaign would be on countries whose teachers “have high potential to succeed in the NSW public school system, such as Canada and the UK”.
