Teacher Workforce Roundtable
Queensland Teachers' Journal, Vol 127 No 5, 19 July 2024, page 6.
In May, stakeholders attended a Teacher Workforce Roundtable to discuss the challenges faced by the teacher shortage crisis.
Three priority areas were identified to frame the discussions, which were the result of advocacy by the Queensland Teachers’ Union. These were:
- attraction
- recruitment
- retention.
Following the initial roundtable, the state government announced a $3 million package to provide free accommodation for up to 12 months for teachers who accepted roles at priority regional, rural and remote schools from the start of Term 3, 2024.
Funding for the Rural and Remote Teacher Experience program has doubled to $500,000 for 2024-2025.
The Department of Education (DoE) launched a workload survey of teachers and school leaders. Initial findings of the survey identified the "top 5" pressures as:
- behaviour management
- communication to parents
- administrative tasks
- data collection
- staff meetings.
Work has also begun on other action items agreed upon at the roundtable, including:
- developing a long-term, sector-wide workforce strategy to look at how Queensland can attract, recruit, and retain school staff
- building on the “Grow Your Own” concept by exploring initiatives
- targeted at regional and remote areas
- contacting recently retired and retiring teachers and school leaders to identify how they can remain engaged in the system
- developing a “valuing teachers” campaign.
The Teacher Workforce Strategy Group will develop a whole-of-sector teacher workforce strategy and continue to meet fortnightly.