School’s in for university students ‘rescue teachers’

University students will be hired to work in short-staffed schools as Omicron outbreaks worsen teacher shortages. 

Associate teacher Ellen Parker, 22, with Year 7 students Scarlette Quinn and Emmanuel Momah at St Clare’s Catholic High School in Sydney’s west. Picture: Jane Dempster

University students will be hired to work in short-staffed schools as Omicron outbreaks worsen teacher shortages.

The National Catholic Education Commission plans to hire final-year teaching undergraduates as “paraprofessionals’’ across more than 1700 schools, to help tired teachers cope with heavy workloads during the pandemic.

The university students will be paid to work as many as four days a week as casual or part-time teacher aides, while continuing their university training.

Duties will include marking tests and assignments, providing feedback to students, supervising practical lessons, creating classroom resources and patrolling playgrounds – work usually done by fully trained teachers.

They will be paid on a par with teacher aides and learning support officers.

The Covid crisis management for school staffing could be a template for permanent reforms to initial teacher education, under consideration by the Morrison government.

NCEC executive director Jacinta Collins said the pandemic had exacerbated teacher shortages, and the combination of classroom learning with home schooling had put teachers under greater stress.

She said the recruitment of pre-service teachers to take over many administrative and student support duties would leave classroom teachers “free to teach”. 

“This is a no-brainer – it’s an opportunity too good to waste,’’ she said. “At the start of the year, the shortage of staff has required us to think of innovative ways to ensure we have sufficient staff.

“This is about providing paid employment (to students) and better supporting our teachers.’’

The students will be recruited from the Australian Catholic University, which enrols the most education students of any university and will provide “mentoring’’ in the classrooms.

“This is an exciting partnership that enables teaching students to find employment and extend their experience in Catholic schools where they are most needed,’’ Ms Collins said.

The Victorian government already hires pre-service teachers as “tutors’’ to help in classrooms, but the NCEC initiative is the first to embed students in schools as part of the permanent workforce.

The students will also be required to complete the standard 10 weeks of unpaid internships as part of their university degrees.

ACU vice-chancellor Zlatko Skrbis said pre-service teachers had already spent “a significant amount of time in schools where they are mentored by high-quality teachers’’.

“As the largest provider of teachers in the country, we have a responsibility to the teaching profession, in times of uncertainty and challenge, to assist in any way we can,’’ he said. “We see this as an opportunity to add breadth and depth to their experience whilst helping the profession meet current workforce needs and prepare adequately for upcoming demand.’’

The first five trainee teachers started work this week at St Clare’s Catholic High School at Hassall Grove, in Sydney’s west.

Ellen Parker, 22, is in her final year of a teaching degree, specialising in technology and applied science. “I’m loving it – I’m not being chucked in the deep end,’’ she said.

Patrick Sheehan, 20, who is in the third year of a teaching ­degree majoring in history and geography, is keen to get classroom experience.

“It’s a great opportunity to get into the classroom and practice what I’ve learnt at university, so I’m over the moon,’’ he said.

“I’ve been enthralled with history ever since I was young, so teaching gives me a stable job and the opportunity to teach history to the next generation and build a greater educational legacy.’’

School principal Kevin Jones said the student teachers would be a “tremendous support” to the teaching staff.

“We’re keen to relieve the workload of teachers, as it’s an ­incredibly difficult workload at the moment,’’ he said.

Mr Jones said the trainees would help organise excursions, school photos and newsletters, and assist teachers with lesson planning and research.