Key Points
Labor will address the dire teaching shortage in regional Tasmania by making it more attractive to work in regional areas.
We will do this with an increase in incentive payments and making them available at 32 more schools, incentivising buying a regional home and provide quality rental housing for key workers.
After a decade of Liberal Government, schools across Tasmania are facing teacher shortages, with 43 teaching vacancies across the state, many in regional or remote schools.
Labor’s plan will:
- Broaden annual incentive payments from 8 isolated to schools to a total of 40 schools in isolated, rural and regional areas
- Increase the amounts currently paid to teachers at isolated schools
- Provide incentives to teachers buying a home in a regional area
- Provide high quality, rental accommodation to key workers, including teachers.
Why we need it
Nearly 50% of teachers are considering leaving the profession, and Tasmania needs to compete with other states offering incentives to teachers in regional areas, Tasmania needs to compete.
“We’ll provide incentive payments in 32 more schools”
Staff in regional and remote schools are crying out for more experienced teachers, reliable relief, and retaining new educators. It’s vital that we incentivise mid-career and experienced teachers to relocate.
Tasmanian teachers currently rate the Government’s isolated financial incentives package as poor, and a majority described housing provided by the department as “low quality” and “very low quality”.
That’s why Labor will boost these incentives and improve quality housing availability.
The details
A Labor Government will provide increased annual payment for teachers working in isolated schools, $5,000 for each of the first three years and recognise service with $7,000 in the following three years.
Eligible schools will include:
- Cape Barren Island School
- Flinders District High School
- King Island District High School
- Mountain Heights School
- Redpa Primary School
- Rosebery District High School
- Strahan Primary School
- Zeehan Primary School
Our plan will also provide new incentive payments of $3,500 for each of the first three years and recognise service with $4,500 in the following three years for teachers at the following 32 regional schools:
- Ashley School
- Bicheno Primary School
- Bothwell District High School
- Bridport Primary School
- Bruny Island District School
- Campbell Town District High School
- Cygnet Primary School
- Dover District High School
- Dunalley Primary School
- Edith Creek Primary School
- Forest Primary School
- Geeveston District High School
- Glenora District High School
- Mole Creek Primary School
- Oatlands District High School
- Ouse District High School
- Port Dalrymple School
- Ringarooma Primary School
- Scottsdale High School
- Scottsdale Primary School
- South George Town Primary School
- St Helen’s District High School
- St Mary’s District High School (including Fingal campus)
- Smithton Primary School
- Smithton High School
- Stanley Primary School
- Swansea Primary School
- Tasman District School
- Triabunna District High School
- Wilmot Primary School
- Westerway Primary School
- Winnaleah District High School
The total cost of incentives to Government will be on average $2 million a year.
A Labor Government will also provide up to 20 stamp duty exemptions per year for teachers who make a commitment to teach at a local school for at least two years to buy a home in a regional area.
Labor in government will also provide quality rental accommodation dedicated to key workers as part of its plan for housing.