A third of SA childcare centres cannot find a qualified early childhood teacher

SA childcare centres are being forced to lower the bar for staff to meet demand, but one man who qualified outside SA says there are three reasons pros choose other jobs.

Childcare bosses are finding it so difficult to recruit qualified staff that almost a third of South Australian centres have had to seek exemptions from authorities.

In many cases this means they do not have the required number of early childhood teachers, who have completed a university degree, to teach preschool-aged children.

Staffing shortages are also affecting out of school hours care (OSHC), where a quarter of service operators have sought exemptions because they cannot hire enough qualified educators.

And the problem is worsening, as data from the sector watchdog shows there were 691 applications for an exemption last financial year, up from 540 the year before.

The 25 per cent of OSHC services with a current exemption is the worst rate in the country, according to the Australian Competition and Consumer Commission.

Among childcare centres, the proportion with exemptions (30 per cent) is the third worst nationally, behind Queensland and Western Australia.

A third of South Australian child care centres cannot find enough qualified early childhood teachers. Photo: iStock.

Exemptions - which are usually granted for up to a year - are more common in country areas and less affluent suburbs.

A royal commission into SA’s early childhood education and care system, delivered in August, warned the state would need 141 extra degree-qualified teachers just to fill positions currently covered by exemptions.

In a bid to somewhat ease the problem, the SA government has pledged to change regulations so educators who have completed a degree interstate can work here.

Currently, SA graduates complete a four-year degree that covers the education of children from birth to eight years old.

Qualifications offered interstate comprise a three-year or four-year degree focusing on birth to five years old - but these are not currently recognised by the SA Teachers Registration Board.

Following a campaign by an alliance of childcare and education organisations, led by Thrive by Five, and royal commission recommendations, the SA government has confirmed it will change the regulations to allow those interstate qualifications to be accepted here.

Education Minister Blair Boyer says SA will make changes to enable interstate teachers to work here. Picture: NCA NewsWire / Gary Ramage

Education Minister Blair Boyer said the change, to be made this year, would “mean we can attract teachers from interstate to move to South Australia”.

Mr Boyer said the government would also work with SA universities to “introduce this new qualification” in SA.

“The specialised, birth-to-five degree is solely focused on the early years, which will build a highly specialised workforce of early childhood educators to deliver three-year-old preschool,” he said.

UniSA early-childhood program director Susie Raymond said it was “extremely difficult” for centres to recruit enough staff.

Juned Khan is studying to be an early childhood teacher. Picture: Roy VanDerVegt

She said about two-thirds of graduates of the current birth to eight degree end up becoming primary school teachers, often influenced by better pay and conditions.

Juned Mehmood Khan is studying early childhood education at UniSA while taking casual roles working in childcare centres.

The 26-year-old has done a placement teaching Year 1 students and will complete a childcare centre placement in May - but remains undecided about whether he will end up working in a school, preschool or daycare centre.

The Elizabeth Downs student, who came to Adelaide after completing a teaching degree in India, said pay, conditions and the “respect” given to different roles influenced most of his peers to choose school-based careers.

“They’re going into schools because they’re paying more. And if you’re in a school you’re often getting more respect from the parents and authorities,” he said.