Dan Repacholi (Hunter, Australian Labor Party) Share this | Hansard source

Neurosurgeons, farmers—so many options we have here of what they will be. So it is vital that these young people have access to and receive the best education in the world, to make sure that our country continues to punch above its weight and thrive into the future.

But, in order for this to happen, our students need teachers. Sadly, this country is facing a shortage of teachers, and it's not only the students who will pay the price for this. It will also impact the future of our nation.

This is a shortage that's been 10 years in the making in this country. We have falling enrolments in teaching degrees, and the demand was forecast to exceed the supply of secondary teachers by 4,100 teachers between 2021 and 2025. Not only are fewer students enrolling in teaching, but those who study teaching are less likely to complete their studies than other students, with only 50 per cent of teaching students completing their degree. This is just not good enough. So there are fewer and fewer people enrolling in teaching, and even fewer completing their degrees. But the figures also show that, once those who do complete their degrees become teachers, between 30 and 50 per cent of them will leave within their first five years of being in a classroom.

As with many of the problems created by those opposite, it is electorates like mine that are even more affected, with this shortage of teachers being more severe in rural and remote areas. This has been highlighted recently, with two schools in the Hunter facing chronic shortages. Muswellbrook High School has eight permanent teacher vacancies, and 221 lessons a fortnight are being taught by teachers outside their expertise. Merriwa Central School has five permanent vacancies, and, according to a New South Wales parliamentary inquiry, had 3,800 split or merged classes during 2021 and the first half of 2022. Once again, regional Australia was forgotten about by those who love to throw their slogans on every telegraph pole they can find.

These issues are complex and have developed over a long period of time, but we do have an idea of some of the reasons for these issues. The most commonly cited reason for leaving the profession is high and increased workloads. The Productivity Commission has found that teachers work about 50 per cent more than their paid hours each week, and, according to the OECD, our teachers are working more hours than teachers in other countries. One may think that teachers working so hard is great for our students and great for education in Australia, but this is not the case. Teachers are too often caught up in administrative tasks, and only 40 per cent of their time is actually spent in the classroom, face to face with their students.

This is a government that actually cares about education and the future of young Australians. We're implementing measures to address the teacher shortage, like investing in Australia's teachers with $328 million in targeted funding through the National Teacher Workforce Action Plan. This plan will provide $159 million to train more teachers; $56 million for scholarships, worth up to $40,000 each, to encourage the best and brightest to become teachers; $68 million to triple the number of mid-career professionals shifting into teaching; and $10 million to boost professional development and make sure that our teachers continue to improve.

This plan will also see $10 million go towards a campaign to raise the status of the teaching profession, and the $30 million Teacher Workload Reduction Fund will look at ways to reduce their workload and maximise their time spent in the classroom with students. This plan will increase the number of people studying teaching and will also help them finish their degree. This plan will reduce workloads and give teachers the recognition they deserve in the community. This is a solid plan from a solid government with a strong focus on education. I want to say thank you to all the teachers out there. They put up with me as a student, and they put up with many students who are different and challenging. I thank them for all they do.

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