Local glut of teachers

While there may be a teacher shortage at a state level, you would not know it in the Illawarra.

A full-time position at Warilla Public School advertised last year attracted more than 70 applicants, while jobs at Thirroul and Woonona public schools north of Wollongong each attracted 106 applicants.

These figures, released by the Department of Education and Training, show teaching jobs in the Illawarra are among the most sought after in the state, with 880 temporary and casual teachers applying for the 16 permanent positions in the region in 2007.

Education and Training Minister John Della Bosca said the figures justified the government’s plan to allow principals to advertise and select teachers when permanent positions arose.

“We are improving arrangements to give schools the choice of advertising permanent positions as they arise or to continue to use the centralised system.

“This will give more temporary and casual teachers the opportunity to apply for permanent positions.”

However, Teachers Federation NSW senior vice-president Gary Zadkovich said the Federation was opposed to the changes as they would lead to a shortage of staff for schools in remote or needy areas.

“The teachers shortage is mainly experienced in particular geographical areas, like west of the Great Dividing Range and in some areas of western Sydney,” he said.

“The Illawarra is an area of teacher oversupply. The government is hoping to get support by appealing to casual and temporary teachers from the area, who think the new changes will give them more opportunities to get a job.

“But it’s not going to create any more jobs and there will be a lot more competition.”

Mr Zadkovich said the changes would undermine the current credit transfer system where teachers who choose to go to remote or needy areas are rewarded with credit points, making it easier for them to transfer to more popular locations.

Mr Zadkovich said the Federation was considering taking industrial action over the issue.