WIMMERA principals say attracting quality teachers to the region is a big challenge.
Subscribe now for unlimited access.
$0/
(min cost $0)
or signup to continue reading
The Country Education Partnership – a group representing the interests of rural and remote education – released a strategic paper titled Education in Rural Victoria – A Case for Action that outlined issues affecting regional schools. Teacher recruitment and retention was the top concern.
Wimmera principals said recruiting teachers was difficult but once they arrived, retention rates were strong.
Dimboola Memorial Secondary College principal Anne Gawith said the number of applications for a teaching position varied, depending on incentives, but it was still significantly lower than metropolitan areas.
“A scholarship position, which comes with financial incentives, can get between four and six applicants, however, for some subjects we often get no applicants," she said. “It is nigh on impossible to attract someone into a contract position.
“For a point of comparison, I heard a new inner Melbourne school had 500 applicants for classroom teacher positions advertised a month ago.”
Ms Gawith said the college often received “substandard” applications that did not make the shortlist and she insisted on employing only the “best teachers”.
“We already offer housing, which is attractive to some teachers, but we need to promote the benefits of beginning one’s career in a regional area,” she said.
Ararat Secondary College principal Geoff Sawyer said a math learning specialist position – equivalent to a leading teacher role – was advertised three times and he received just one application, who was not suitable. The college is also advertising four teaching roles.
He said applicants who were “not up to the task” were increasing in number.
“Teachers go to work and try their best but in a graduating group, some are better than others and they are getting positions closer to home and not have to come out to a rural area,” he said. “We are fortunate to be close to Ballarat and Melbourne, but it’s certainly not getting easier to recruit good-quality staff.”
Mr Sawyer said he would like the government to revisit how they could attract teachers to regional areas. He suggested new schemes should be considered that gave teachers an incentive to move to remote towns.
Stawell Secondary College acting principal Kevin O’Neil said recruiting new teachers was more difficult than metropolitan areas and retention was a challenge for his school. He said the college encouraged teachers to make connections with the community, with the hope that it motivates them to stay.
“A lot of our staff are relatively young and while they enjoy their time here, most want to go back to where they’re from," he said. “They go for experience in the country, but have the intention to go back to the city.”
Horsham’s Holy Trinity Lutheran College principal Daniel Weller said an independent school in a regional area added another challenge in the hiring process.
The college is gradually expanding to a P-12 school and has required more teachers. Mr Weller received applications from far and wide, but would welcome more.
Mr Weller said staff retention was not a problem because the college only recruited new members due to expansion or retirement. He said the school and Horsham community was appealing and hoped further growth to the city would expand the number of applicants.
Kaniva College principal Ashley Munn said improvements to accommodation was needed to recruit more teachers to the region. He said changing mindsets about teaching in a regional town was another problem.
“The people we get out here are the ones ready to challenge themselves and generally we have very few staff members leave within a year,” he said. “I think once we get suitable teachers here, they are very happy. It’s just getting them out of their home and they have to drive past a lot of jobs before they get to Kaniva.”
He had found recruiting from South Australia was an advantage.
While you’re with us, you can now receive updates straight to your inbox twice weekly from the Wimmera Mail-Times. To make sure you’re up-to-date with all the news from across the Wimmera, sign up below.