Qld teaching crisis grows, as underqualified students plug growing gaps in classrooms

The number of underqualified teachers plugging massive staff shortages is soaring, and university leaders warn it could have serious knock-on effects in Queensland classrooms long into the future.

Permission To Teach applications are being heavily relied on in areas outside of South East Queensland, shining a light on the scale of the teaching crisis in the regions. Picture: Istock

The number of underqualified teachers plugging massive staff shortages has soared, as university leaders declare the practice is akin to throwing students into the deep end without support and resulting in “the loss of some great future educators”.

Permission To Teach application approvals – mostly for university students, allowing them to teach in classrooms crippled by staff shortages – rose by almost 20 per cent in a year.

The policy is being heavily relied on in areas outside of South East Queensland, shining a light on the scale of the teaching crisis in the regions.

In extenuating circumstances, the Queensland College of Teachers may approve a PTT application for someone who is not a registered teacher.

The criteria is that the person has been offered a teaching position in a school that cannot find a registered teacher; they have some form of teaching knowledge, qualifications, skills or training; and have ­suitable written and verbal English skills.

According to the QCT 2023 annual report, there were 1133 PTT applications submitted and 1050 were approved last year. In 2022, 1076 PTT applications were made and 888 were approved.

However, James Cook University senior education lecturer Maree Dinan-Thompson said she had seen cases where PTT “actually caused a negative impact”.

“There has been significant growth across Cairns, Townsville and out to Mount Isa in PTT,” she said.

“Some of our commencing students are getting signed up within those first six months under PTT classification.

“Because they are in such high-need areas, while PTT is meant to allow a person to access work and support them and grow, in some circumstances it is actually flipping the other way.

“In some cases, this is actually causing a negative impact because they (students) are withdrawing from the teaching degree before they have actually completed it.”

Maree Dinan-Thompson of James Cook University. Picture: Sandhya Ram

Central Queensland University Vice-Chancellor Professor Nick Klomp echoed these concerns.

“I can appreciate the intent of the government to fast-track PTT students to the classroom,” he said.

“But it is crucial they are appropriately supervised and mentored … Our experience has shown that without the appropriate mentorship and supervision, PTT approved applicants will struggle initially and then may question their future in the education sector, or even consider abandoning their studies. This will only serve to see us lose some great future educators.”

A Department of Education spokeswoman said PTT did not replace standard recruitment efforts. “It provides an avenue … to engage a suitable individual in a teaching role when all other efforts to appoint a registered teacher have been unsuccessful,” she said.