When Katie Stansfield graduates from her teaching degree next year, she is hoping to work in a remote school.Prime Minister Scott Morrison announces a plan to waive the HECS debts of young teachers who stay and teach in very remote schools for four years
"I think that there's a lot of challenges with remote teaching, a lot of it is stuff that uni doesn't and can't prepare you for," she said. "The skills and the things that you learn being there are not taught, you can't learn that by sitting in a lecture theatre or by reading textbooks," she said. At this stage Labor won't match the policy, but it has announced a promise for a $14 million teaching hub at Charles Darwin University in the NT, specialising in rural, remote and Indigenous education.The waive-HECS-debt policy was recommended by Tony Abbott based on his tour as special envoy for Indigenous affairs.
How about employing good teachers?
There's worse ideas to encourage people to work in the country. A general move to improve conditions there would make it a more attractive prospect but that's a long slog for a lot of people.
No, actually making teachers financially accountable for their work outcomes would be better!
HECS debts are indexed to salaries. Why would they be holding people back?
It's a great idea, should do the same for doctors.
It’s not the best way, but it’s a start, if it’s combined with a suite of measures. Appropriate training, accommodation subsidies, salary bonus, permanent positions in the system, and transferability after several years.
Go back to the old scholarship system where teachers were required to serve the education departments for as long as they were supported by the scholarship. This included being sent anywhere in their state.
Worth a try, as long as the sums add up. Salary in the regions, similar to salary in the cities, or certainly the difference less than the HECS repayment
For those that pass their degree with a high a GPA and then spend 4 yrs in regional areas. I can support that.
I was fortunate enough to get a free tertiary education from 1980 - to 1985 - I am so sorry for young graduates burdened by debt : (
Well let's consider the time when senior pollies got their education - it was FREE.
No.. when you look at young people, family and friends come higher up the scale than money. Encourage country kids to return to country. Encourage country kids to go to uni by helping them with accommodation to be at uni.
There are already discounts on hec debts. If it doesn't work now, why would a further reduction work?
No
Only if the debt is forgiven as a % of they years they serve in the region. Otherwise, it would just create a Teacher churn. A similar approach could also be applied to Doctors, Nurses, Physio's etc. who are also difficult to attract in the regions.
Is it the best way? Possibly not. Is it one way? Probably, as long as those teachers are given enough support to adequately do their jobs. If they're just dumped in remote communities without support, teaching won't improve and those teachers will be scarred by the experience.
It’d help a hell of a lot. Also paying a better wage, more INDIGENOUS teachers, more maleteachers, decent access to freshproduce at a reasonable price, oh and let’s not forget classes taught IN language.
Teachers probably should not have debts at all, or nurses or a bunch of other community nessesities that are paid too little like child care workers.
That's one way. Another would be to incentivise moving to remote locations with more $$ and preferential placement after extended service. 10 years in the bush in exchange for 10-20 in a beachside or urban community (depending on preference) sounds pretty enticing to me.
Sounds like it!
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