Overseas and interstate STEM (Science, technology, engineering, and mathematics) teachers will be the target of a new campaign to boost teacher numbers in NSW public schools.
While Monday’s press release by the NSW Government did not mention why more teachers are needed, NSW Education Minister Sarah Mitchell told NSW Parliament earlier in the year that the number of students beginning teaching degrees in NSW had fallen by almost 30 per cent over the five years.
The NSW Government say it will spend $13.5 million on a program to bring more than 500 qualified STEM teachers from other countries and states into NSW classrooms.
A Teacher Supply Strategy is due for release soon, says Ms Mitchell’s office.
Meanwhile, the NSW Government says it will invest a further $1 million into training industry experts who want to pursue a career change as a TAFE NSW teacher.
The press release says 200 industry professionals across the State will be able to upskill ‘with guaranteed employment at TAFE NSW’.
So provide tech teachers with time and resources to manage machinery, equipment and materials, and decent time for preparation and organisation. Bit of appreciation would help too!