Contract teachers threat to learning

THE number of teachers on fixed-term contracts has ballooned by more than 100 in six months, with students coming out the losers because of the high turnover of staff.

Education Union president Jarvis Ryan said a lack of permanent positions meant there was a high turnover of staff, which created instability for students.

“The high turnover has an impact on staff moral and workload and the continual process of inducting new staff, and it clearly has an impact on student learning because a revolving door of teachers means students don’t get the continuity they need,” he said.

Fixed-term contract teachers made up 34.77 per cent of the total in April but that had increased to 38.74 per cent by mid October.

To help reduce the number of teachers on fixed-term contracts the Department of Education has begun a new program to lift the number of permanently employed teachers.

A department spokeswoman said the Teacher Permanency Strategy was formed in consultation with the Commissioner of Public Employment and the Australian Education Union NT.

“Having a secure and stable workforce is a priority for the department, particularly when it comes to our teachers,” the spokeswoman said.

“We know that having consistency in the classroom positively impacts on student outcomes.”

The program will run from now until October 9, 2018.

As schools are in charge of budgets, principals will decide whether a teacher is offered permanency.

Mr Ryan said the union would be pushing for schools to permanently employ as many teachers as they could, and expected several hundred to be given permanent employment.

“The Government and union agree that offering permanent employment is crucial to attracting and maintaining good teachers to the Territory,” he said.