Australia trawls widely for teachers
Dec 20th 2007, 2:22 am
#1
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Australia trawls widely for teachers
Education Minister Jane Lomax-Smith says the State Government has to be strategic about expanding its teacher recruitment. “Many teachers are approaching retirement age and we need to plan ahead, so recruiting interstate and overseas is smart,” she said.
The exodus of Baby Boomer retirees over the next decade is expected to create shortages, with a lack of maths and science teachers already emerging. Education Minister Jane Lomax-Smith said a major analysis of SA’s future public school workforce requirements was being undertaken by the University of Adelaide.She said the new website www.teachinginsa.sa.edu.au was part of an ongoing effort to recruit and keep teachers.
http://www.australiantimes.co.uk/news.aspx?ID=677
The exodus of Baby Boomer retirees over the next decade is expected to create shortages, with a lack of maths and science teachers already emerging. Education Minister Jane Lomax-Smith said a major analysis of SA’s future public school workforce requirements was being undertaken by the University of Adelaide.She said the new website www.teachinginsa.sa.edu.au was part of an ongoing effort to recruit and keep teachers.
http://www.australiantimes.co.uk/news.aspx?ID=677
Dec 20th 2007, 5:01 am
#2
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Re: Australia trawls widely for teachers
Just out of curiosity, does anyone know which direction the student enrollment in Australia is projected to go over this decade? Will the number of students increase? Decrease? Stay at the current level?
The reason why I'm asking is that this post brought me flashbacks of Canada in the late 1990's. At that time, there were similar warning bells being sounded about the impending mass retirement of teachers and the job shortages that would result. However, those jobs never materialized because they didn't consider the changing demographics - the student population was in decline. Although the population of Canada was increasing, this was largely due to immigration and not natural growth. Fewer children meant fewer teachers. This is one of the reasons why it is so difficult for many to get a full-time, permanent teaching position in Canada nowadays.
Like I said, I don't know about the changing demographics of Australia. However, this post is eerily similar to what was being said in Canada a decade ago.
The reason why I'm asking is that this post brought me flashbacks of Canada in the late 1990's. At that time, there were similar warning bells being sounded about the impending mass retirement of teachers and the job shortages that would result. However, those jobs never materialized because they didn't consider the changing demographics - the student population was in decline. Although the population of Canada was increasing, this was largely due to immigration and not natural growth. Fewer children meant fewer teachers. This is one of the reasons why it is so difficult for many to get a full-time, permanent teaching position in Canada nowadays.
Like I said, I don't know about the changing demographics of Australia. However, this post is eerily similar to what was being said in Canada a decade ago.
Dec 22nd 2007, 1:07 am
#3
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Re: Australia trawls widely for teachers
With immigration at record levels and projected to rise, both main political parties support high immigration, I would say student number will keep on rising.
Dec 22nd 2007, 2:15 pm
#4
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Re: Australia trawls widely for teachers
Immigration rates to Canada have been at record levels as well over the last decade. In fact, Canada has the highest per capita immigration rate in the world (Source).
However, this hasn't translated into an increase in the student population. Many believe this is because Canada, along with other developed countries, target foreign highly-skilled labour with their immigration practices - immigrants at the top of their profession who are likely to be middle-aged or older. Some politicians have suggested changing these practices to give younger, less-skilled labour a better chance of entering the country - immigrants who are more likely to have children in the future.
Again, don't confuse immigration with natural growth.
However, this hasn't translated into an increase in the student population. Many believe this is because Canada, along with other developed countries, target foreign highly-skilled labour with their immigration practices - immigrants at the top of their profession who are likely to be middle-aged or older. Some politicians have suggested changing these practices to give younger, less-skilled labour a better chance of entering the country - immigrants who are more likely to have children in the future.
Again, don't confuse immigration with natural growth.
Dec 26th 2007, 7:34 am
#5
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Location: Australia, Scotland, NZ, China, Spain, Scotland again wha hae!
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Re: Australia trawls widely for teachers
They were telling us the same story in '98 when I started my 4 year BEd in Qld and they are still talking it up. They were also saying that in the UK when I was there - but for various reasons (hadn't thought of changing demographics but that makes sense) it has not turned out as they 'promised'. My old teachers who are still working talk about pensions being cut, costs of living increasing and keeping ppl in work longer and other disincentives to quit. When I was in Scotland the local council was offering older teachers a payout to take retirement. Even this was a bit silly- in the school I was in nearly 10 older staff took it at once, and nearly all of them heads of department etc, leaving the school management in disarray.
