Initial teacher education graduate numbers declined by 17 per cent between 2017 and 2020

And high ATAR school leavers are not as interested in teaching as a while back. ITE enrollers with an ATAR of 80 and up are down a third from 2006. Overall ITE graduations were down 17 per cent, 2017-20.

The figures are in a new Commonwealth Department of Education paper, presumably to set the context for the teacher education roundtable at new minister Jason Clare’s first MINCO, Friday (CMM July 25).

The meeting will occur in the context of a predicted shortfall of secondary teachers of 4100- 5000 through to 2025.

As to whether the Commonwealth is part of the  problem, DoE does not speculate. The paper points to the previous government’s cap on Commonwealth supported UG places in 2018 and refers to the Job Ready Graduates package reducing the cost of education courses to students by 42 per cent and lifting CSP funding to institutions by 15 per cent but only states, “Caps on CGS funding may have some impact on universities’ decisions to enrol more ITE students, however there is little evidence of this happening at present.”

“The current tight labour market has also led to increased competition for skilled professionals, which may make it even more difficult to attract and retain teachers,” the paper helpfully adds.