Union gives top marks for new NT teacher recruits

‘A really different feeling in the air’: The peak body representing NT teachers has given the thumbs up to the cohort of new recruits about to hit our Territory classrooms. Find out why.

Northern Territory Education and Training Minister Jo Hersey (front), with Department of Education and Training Chief Executive Susan Bowden.

The peak body representing NT teachers has given the thumbs up to the cohort of new recruits about to hit our Territory classrooms.

Australian Education Union NT branch President Michelle Ayres said it is shaping up as the best start to a school year in a long time.

“The number of teacher recruits is not going to match demand, but it is the closest we have come in a very, very long time,” she said.

“There were 250 people at this week’s teacher orientation event in Darwin.

“I would predict we are seeing double the level of new teacher recruits into the Northern Territory for this time of the year.

“And the big difference with this year’s cohort is that there is so much experience among them.

“There was so much experience represented in that orientation room over the last few days that I felt like every second person I was meeting was an experienced teacher, which has been lacking.

Australian Education Union NT president Michelle Ayres.

“It has been a huge gap in the last few years.

“This is such a big improvement.

“It’s exciting.

“There is a really different feeling in the air. It is so much more positive.”

Ms Ayres said new funding agreements had contributed to a massive influx of experienced teachers from interstate.

“The new funding agreements have taken a lot of getting to,” she said.

“All this funding and negotiations have been in the works for so long.

“The first iteration of this was announced in 2022 by Eva Lawler.

“The new CLP Government coming on has thrown their support behind it 100 per cent and I have been extremely impressed with Education Minister Jo Hersey.

Northern Territory Education and Training Minister Jo Hersey (far left) poses with new teachers undergoing orientation ahead of term one, 2025.

“We were able to sign a new enterprise agreement at the end of last year, which has given us the ability to attract experienced people here because we finally have salaries that will do that.

“And importantly there is an increase in funding that will allow principals to afford those teachers in their school budgets.

“The possibilities that have opened up with this new funding is at a level that has lifted the constraints placed on schools for many years now.

“For the first time in such a long time there feels like there are possibilities

“What we see with the new CLP Government and their priorities of safety for teaching staff is an alignment with our priorities.

“The salaries have been enough to attract teachers to the Northern Territory.

“However in order to keep teachers here we need to match salaries with conditions … safety in classrooms and the ability to actually teach.”