NSW schools: Demand for relief teachers up 82 per cent

As many as 94 per cent of NSW’s high school relief teachers are willing to teach outside their zone exclusive figures show – in some cases for subjects they’re not qualified in.

Exclusive figures have revealed the soaring demand for casual teachers and how it has forced relief teachers to work outside their subject area or region.

Thousands of permanent teachers have missed days of school due to Covid or the flu since the return to face-to-face learning, requiring casual teachers to fill their place.

ClassCover, an app used by the state’s 2200 public schools to find and book relief teachers, has seen its use increase by 137 per cent nationally since pre-Covid. In NSW, daily booking demand has climbed 82 per cent.

“There’s no denying the teacher supply challenge has become more acute nationwide and no one is immune,” ClassCover head of marketing Billie Muchmore said.

“However, apps like ClassCover work to alleviate some of the pressures schools, and by extension, teachers, are facing, by helping schools unearth a shared pool of available relief teachers in their area.”

Inverell teacher Damien Fleming, pictured with fellow teachers Tegan Morgan and Caroline Wilson, said more specialist teachers were needed. Picture: Tyson Perkins

Data from ClassCover, collected in a survey of NSW casual teachers who have been in the job since before the pandemic, and obtained exclusively by The Sunday Telegraph, painted a staggering picture of the pressure on our educators.

Of the 60 per cent being asked to teach classes they’re not qualified in or don’t preference, 73 per cent were accepting the work and regularly teaching outside their subject area. That number was naturally higher in high schools, at 84 per cent.

ClassCover daily booking demand has climbed 82 per cent since pre-pandemic.

As many as 94 per cent of high school relief teachers were willing to teach outside their zone.

The number of relief teachers using the app has climbed 66 per cent since 2019, to almost 22,000 across the state.

“Casual teaching can be a revolving door career, with many going in and out of contract work and long teaching blocks then returning to casual teaching,” Ms Muchmore said.

“As a result of growing teacher supply challenges, there has been a significant increase in casuals being snapped up for contract work, which affects the supply and rate of teachers being available to get booked.”

NSW Teachers Federation president Angelo Gavrielatos said teachers were under extreme pressure. Picture: Damian Shaw

NSW Teachers Federation president Angelo Gavrielatos said the data reflected the demands being placed on teachers.

“Teachers are doing the very best they can under very difficult circumstances,” Mr Gavrielatos said.

“Teachers who are teaching out of their area are doing even more than is expected of them. But the department’s own data shows students who are taught by appropriately qualified teachers perform better in the Higher School Certificate.”

The same concerns were shared by Inverell Teachers Association president Damien Fleming, who earlier this month told The Sunday Telegraph specialist teachers were in short supply.

“Teachers are being forced to cover other subject areas, but for some subjects that are practical based, with specialist knowledge and work health and safety requirements, it’s not possible,” Mr Fleming said.

Education Minister Sarah Mitchell said Covid and the flu were behind the increased need for casual teachers.

“This data shows that teaching, just like every sector, is under intense pressure due to Covid sickness and that we’re relying heavily on a casual pool of staff. Any inference otherwise is wrong,” she said.