Qld falls short in teacher diversity targets

Dwindling male primary teacher numbers is not the only workforce issue facing Education Qld, it is also falling short on Indigenous, disability, and culturally diverse representation.

Queensland schools have no set targets to revive flatlining male primary teacher numbers, with women in leadership the only public service benchmark being met by the Department of Education.

The state’s public school workforce has fallen short of a range of targets due to be met by the end of last year – these include Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander representation, people with a disability, and recruits from culturally and linguistically diverse backgrounds.

It comes after The Sunday-Mail revealed there are almost five times the number of female teachers as there are males in Queensland primary schools, with male primary teacher numbers having barely increased over 17 years.

The Department of Education says it recognises the value of a diverse teaching workforce, and offers and promotes targeted incentive programs to attract diverse cohorts to the profession.

University of Southern Queensland senior education lecturer Dr Tania Leach said not only did the teacher workforce need more people from diverse backgrounds, but more men as well – with Australia lagging behind the 39 per cent global average for men in the teacher workforce.

“Our teacher workforce does not reflect the diversity of our communities,” she said.

“When we see a balance of demographics and genders in schools, the benefits are diverse perspectives, and an enhanced understanding of different cultures and lifestyles.

“Research also shows that boys cry out for strong male role models between the ages of 12 and 16 … and if girls have male teachers they are not as anxious when transitioning into high school where they will typically have more male teachers.”

USQ’s Dr Tania Leach. Photo: Supplied.

Dr Leach said incentives targeting men and other demographics could be part of the solution.

“There is a place for incentives, but they cannot be by themselves,” she said.

“Raising the entry level to attract more people in is a good idea.

“But we also need to develop a targeted strategy by talking to males and boys in schools and finding out why they, or why they don’t, want to become a teacher.”

UQ School of Education’s Associate Professor Garth Stahl said incentives are not the answer, and more focus is needed on inspiring potential teachers at a younger age.

“Teaching has historically been a very feminised career, what keeps men away is partially the social stigma of a less masculine job,” he said.

“I’m personally not in favour of incentives (targeting males), because it offends the women who are the majority of the workforce currently.

“We must break the cycle earlier and foster the aspiration that teaching is something children can do as a career, I’m in favour of men going into schools and doing outreach programs.

“But also, let’s send groups of male teaching students to university in clusters, it is important they are not one of only two, or three, males in primary studies classes at university.”

LNP education spokesman Dr Christian Rowan said the Palaszczuk Labor Government has no plan to fix the state’s our education system and students are paying the price.

“All strategies must be considered, including additional relief teaching staff, enhancing student and staff safety, professional development opportunities, improved graduate teacher recruitment strategies and opportunities for teachers to provide both online and digital education lessons where appropriate,” he said.

Dr Christian Rowan. Picture: David Clark

A Department of Education spokesman said work continues with stakeholders to promote teaching as a profession for everyone, and various scholarship and incentive programs are in place to broaden the state’s teacher workforce.

“The Department promotes programs such as the Turn to Teaching Internship and Trade to Teach Internship programs to diverse cohorts through targeted marketing,” the statement said.

“The Turn to Teaching Pilot Cohort consisted of 19 male interns and 21 female interns. The program’s first cohort of interns consists of 46 male and 63 female.

“In the Trade to Teach internship program, 88% of the cohort identified as male.

“The Australian Government will offer bursaries for students enrolling in Initial Teacher Education courses in 2024 – targeted at high-achieving school leavers, mid-career professionals, First Nations peoples, and people from culturally and linguistically diverse backgrounds – to encourage them to choose teaching as a profession.”

The Pearl Duncan Teaching Scholarship is available to Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander students and current employees to do an initial teacher education course. Financial assistance available ranges from $10,000-$20,000.

The Remote Area Teacher Education Program is a state government initiative supporting Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander students, teacher aides and school employees to become qualified primary school teachers and early childhood educators in their home communities.

Originally published as Qld falls short in teacher diversity targets