Radical plan to target serious teacher shortages

Professionals including engineers, lawyers and IT experts would be introduced to classrooms in a bid to ease teacher staff shortages under a radical reform scheme.

The federal government’s Australian Institute for Teaching and School Leadership has set out a blueprint to fix serious staff shortages.

Under the plan, the best teachers would receive pay rises of up to 40 per cent, and university-educated workers would be recruited to earn while they learn on the job.

University graduates would be eligible for six to 12-month paid internships for career changes while undertaking a two-year masters degree in education.

McKinnon Secondary College principal, Pitsa Binnion, says schools already have the ability to hire university graduates but it’s not being taken up widely.

“It’s been so effective. I’ve had a dietitian and two engineers that I’ve hired over the past couple of years,” she told Ross and Russel.

Press PLAY below to hear about the staff shortages schools are struggling with