10 October 2007

Western Australia desperate for teachers

The state of Western Australia is experiencing such a shortage of teaching staff it is offering graduate annual salaries around eight per cent higher than elsewhere in the country, the Age newspaper reports. The Education department is trying to attract teachers from other states and qualified foreign teachers with Australian visas.

Graduate teachers in Western Australia have just been awarded a significant pay rise and education minister Mark McGowan said: "We've got a problem and we've got to fix it." He estimates the state currently has a shortfall of around 130 teachers.

Secondary teachers are predominantly in demand, in particular for maths, science, design and technology, home economics, languages other than English, literature and agriculture.

Teachers who are willing to go to smaller centres and more remote areas are being offered even more benefits, including a location allowance and paid location costs.

Australia needs skilled teachers: Anyone applying for an Australian visa should begin by completing the Australian Visa Bureau's online Australian visa application to see if they meet the Australian visa requirements.