The Australian Education Union in Victoria has welcomed the announcements made by the Andrews government this morning.
AEU Victorian Branch President Meredith Peace said that the state government’s continued efforts on building and upgrading public schools and kindergartens are welcomed.
“Investment in buildings and facilities must keep pace with the needs of public school communities – we can’t go back to the days when the Liberals were last in power which meant that in some years no new schools were open despite significant student growth.
“Today’s allocation of $19 million to support workforce supply is a good start, especially to provide additional recruitment support to harder to staff schools and attraction payments for some graduate teachers.
“But to really address the shortage of school staff and prevent chronic shortages, the government needs to be bolder and provide further incentives for the existing workforce and enhanced ways to attract and support new entrants to the profession.
“Introducing studentships to support student teachers with cost-of-living expenses, practicum payments, additional incentives to work in outer metropolitan, regional, and rural schools, and much better support for teachers at the start of their career are some of the key actions that need to be taken right now.
“The next state government must invest in the public education workforce and deliver on the most important promise made to Victorians when it comes to education which is access to high quality provision at their local kindergarten, public school, and TAFE,” Ms Peace said.
24 October 2022