Queensland schools facing ‘critically’ low teacher shortages

A scathing national report has revealed little progress has been made to address concerns about teacher shortages, with more than 1000 teacher vacancies across Qld, including some schools chasing as many as a dozen teachers to staff classrooms.

A scathing national report has revealed not enough is being done to address mounting concerns into teacher shortages with parts of Queensland facing critically low levels.

The Productivity Commission, in its interim report reviewing the National School Reform Agreement, said overworked teachers were leaving the industry in droves.

It comes after Education Minister Grace Grace revealed in May there were more than 1000 teacher vacancies throughout the state.

The commission’s report said regional, rural and remote areas continued to suffer from longstanding shortages.

Commissioner Natalie Siegel-Brown said teachers were over burdened with “low value” tasks and were spending less time teaching than compared to international counterparts.

“Ideas we are testing to improve teaching quality include giving teachers more time to teach,” Ms Siegel-Brown said.

Education Minister Grace Grace says the teaching vacancy rate represents 2 per cent of the state’s teaching workforce. Picture: NCA NewsWire / Dan Peled

“Reducing teacher workload would also increase the time they have to prepare for lessons and undertake professional development.”

More than 3000 teachers were surveyed in the report, which highlighted heavy workloads, high stress levels and a lack of a work life balance as the key reasons they were considering leaving the industry.

Ms Grace revealed during a question on notice in May that Queensland had 1050 teacher vacancies, up by nearly 300 from 2021.

It included 220 in Central Queensland, 240 in North Queensland and 167 in metropolitan areas.

“Teacher vacancies are a normal part of the workforce cycle and can occur for various reasons,” Ms Grace said at the time.

“Vacancies open and close continually throughout the year and local workplace planning ensures that many of these vacancies are identified in advance and filled to minimise disruptions to classes.”

Ms Grace said the teacher vacancy rate made up of two per cent of the 54,000 teaching workforce.

According to the Queensland Teachers Union, 12 schools in mining towns throughout Central Queensland were faced with “critically” low shortages.

Dysart State High School had six teacher vacancies out of 14 staff and Moranbah State High School had 12 vacancies, the union’s July journal revealed.

Union president Cresta Richardson said staffing levels and unsustainable workloads continued to dominate issues raised by its members.

“The QTU continues to develop meaningful strategies and policies to help address the teacher shortage while attracting new and retaining existing teachers to our valued profession,” Ms Richardson said.

Private schools throughout the CQ region are also desperately for teachers.

St Brendan’s College at Yeppoon has five full-time teaching positions available in mathematics, science, agricultural science, religion and legal studies, according to an advertisement on Seek.

Gladstone's Chanel College and Mackay’s Holy Spirit College are both advertising multiple positions each.

In bid to attract more teachers to the industry, the Department of Education offers teachers financial support in study, paid internships and a permanent teaching position post-degree at a Queensland classroom, as part of its turn to teaching program.

It also offers incentives including lump sum payments, return flights, self-contained accommodation and guaranteed return to school as part of the EB10 agreement.