Last week, Treasurer Dr Jim Chalmers handed down the 2023-24 Federal Budget, earmarking billions in funding for schools, childcare centres, TAFEs, and universities across Australia.
The funding, which includes $492m towards the government’s Closing The Gap plan and $250m for programs to tackle antisocial behaviour in Alice Springs, took aim at educational disadvantage – an issue that has taken on increasing importance in the wake of the Covid-19 pandemic.
Exacerbating this issue is the teacher shortage, which the government intends to address by funding more than 5,000 scholarships and the High Achieving Teachers program to attract more high-quality candidates into the profession.
But will it be enough to turn the tables?
When The Educator spoke to Australian Special Education Principals Association (ASEPA) president, Matthew Johnson last year, he said the number one challenge for ASEPA principals was the ability – or rather the lack thereof – to access and guarantee stability in their teaching workforce.
According to the Federal Government’s Institute of Health and Welfare, an estimated 380,000 (10%) of all Australian students aged 5-18 have a disability, yet a number of reports have shown that greater in-school supports are needed to accommodate the needs of these students.
Speaking to The Educator following the release of last Tuesday night’s Federal Budget, Johnson welcomed the government’s education funding commitments towards Closing the Gap and improving student behaviour in Alice Springs, calling it “a significant step in the right direction”.
However, he said much more needs to be done if Australian education is to see a meaningful difference in these critical areas.
“Further investments need to be made at the federal and state level to retain the teachers we have,” Matthew Johnson, ASEPA president, told The Educator.
“Another initiative deserving of further scrutiny is the additional $25m in funding aimed at piloting new ways to reduce teacher workloads and maximise the time they have to teach. This is acknowledged, but it needs to translate into real-world actions and outcomes in schools.”
The Federal Budget also earmarked $10m for a national communications campaign to raise the status of the teaching profession.
Johnson says the campaign is “a worthy initiative to influence mainstream media and negate negative perceptions portrayed about the teaching workforce.”
In recent years, federal, state and territory governments have been ramping up efforts to lift the status of the teaching profession, recognising the profound impact that the Great Resignation is having on the nation’s schools.
As part of this ongoing initiative, the Federal Government announced it will now broaden eligibility for teaching bursaries of up to $40,000 to include mid-career professionals, people from culturally and linguistically diverse backgrounds, and other underrepresented communities.
Johnson also welcomed the government’s funding towards an additional 300,000 fee-free TAFE and vocational education training places to improve employment pathways for young people.
“This investment is essential to reinvigorate the sector and support the skills we need in an evolving and transitional economy.”