New reforms to fast-track education degrees to lure the brightest people

If you are looking for a career change, the government has announced a major overhaul of education degrees to help lure the state’s brightest minds into classrooms.

High-performing professionals looking for a career change will get easier and fast-tracked pathways into teaching in a major education overhaul designed to lure the brightest minds into the state’s classrooms.

The reform will allow academics, professionals, and subject matter experts to do shorter, more flexible education degrees which take into account their existing knowledge and teaching experience.

The new degrees will allow aspiring teachers to be in a classroom and on a salary within six months depending on their existing experience.

Anthony Thompson left his high profile banking job to become a maths teacher. Picture: Justin Lloyd.

Education Minister Sarah Mitchell said she is in talks with universities to determine how to make the degrees “bespoke for each mid-career entrant” and stressed that the changes won’t compromise on quality.

“The best and brightest from other professions must be encouraged to become teachers, and right now there are too many barriers to entry,” Ms Mitchell said.

“(The degree will be) ‘frontending’ the qualification depending on where the candidate’s skills are lacking so that the candidate can get teaching sooner – with the remainder of the qualifications being ‘backended’ – and completed while the candidate is employed at a school.”

Treasurer Dominic Perrottet said the initiative was aligned with recommendations from the NSW Productivity Commission.

“We’re always looking for better ways of working to give our kids a brighter future and ultimately the whole state benefits from that,” Mr Perrottet said.

Education Minister Sarah Mitchell said the speedy degrees won’t compromise on quality. Picture: Gaye Gerard

The boost in teaching graduates could help absolve the state’s staffing shortages with reports of teachers in Tamworth and Armidale cancelling classes for years 11 and 12 and providing minimal supervision on the school oval due to short-staffing.

Banker-turned-teacher Anthony Thompson said the prospect of not earning a salary for two years has been a major turn-off for many seeking a career change to teaching.

Mr Thompson, who is a maths teacher at Freshwater Senior Campus high school, left his role as a senior economist, because 21 years in the job and two global financial crises had left him burnt out.

Treasurer Dominic Perrottet said the changes are in line with recommendations from the NSW Productivity Commission. Picture: Joel Carrett

“The most daunting aspect was the huge pay cut I was taking. I was earning $300,000 and as a beginner teacher I started at $60,000. But I was financially secure having worked for more than 20 years,” the 53-yer-old said.

“I did the Graduate Diploma of Teaching at Macquarie University and the Institute of Teachers found my background in an actuarial degree was more than adequate for me to become a maths teacher. I was then cherry picked by the school I teach at.”

NSW Teachers Federation president Angelo Gavrielatos said staff shortages won’t be fixed until wages are improved.

“There is no fast track program or incentive scheme that is going to fix the serious teacher shortages already upon us or help recruit the 11,000 additional teachers we need, at a minimum in the next decade, just to meet rising enrolments,” he said.

“Lifting the appeal of the profession by reducing workloads and significantly increasing salaries is the way to stop the shortages, not lowering standards and looking for quick fixes that don’t exist.”

The government is engaging with stakeholders with the aim of rolling out the degrees in a year.

Originally published as New reforms to fast-track education degrees to lure the brightest people