Maintaining supportive work environments could be the key to addressing statewide teacher shortages, a Wyndham principal has suggested.
A recent survey by the the Australian Education Union (AEU) found about 90 per cent of public school principals in Victoria were “gravely concerned” there wouldn’t be enough teachers for every classroom.
Good News Lutheran College principal Fiona McAuliffe said despite noticing a drop in the number of people applying for vacant positions, she isn’t too concerned.
“That’s not to say that we don’t recognise it’s happening,” Ms McAuliffe said.
“We know that there’s a shortage, we know that for a number of people that are qualified, that it’s much easier for them to do CRT work at the moment because there’s a shortage in that area.
“There’s a reluctance for teachers to commit to the full-time position because they can just work through the day and not take the extra work home with them.”
Ms McAuliffe said COVID-19 had prompted many people to rethink how they live their lives.
“Everybody’s rethinking what they’re doing. It’s not just the teachers,” she said.
“I can’t change how many teachers are available, and I can’t change how COVID has impacted the way that people have been thinking, but what I do have control over is helping those younger teachers.
“What we can do in our schools is to make sure that every placement teacher, every graduate and every teacher feels supported in the environment that they’re in.”
AEU Victoria president Meredith Peace said the state government needed to immediately address the teacher shortage.
“If the Victorian government wants to stem the current teacher shortage crisis and ensure that students across the state have qualified teachers in front of them, they must first look at the retention of existing teachers,” she said.
Education Minister Natalie Hutchins said the state government is “working hard” to address current school workforce issues.
“We’re working closely with education ministers across Australia to develop national solutions to support the recruitment and retention of teachers and we are already taking action,” Ms Hutchins said.
