Bid to land teachers

ENGINEERS and scientists who want to switch careers could be targeted to get more specialist maths and science teachers into schools.

Long-term declines in maths and science class enrolment has driven Education Minister Simon Birmingham to consider more extreme measures.

People who had a science or maths degree and had worked for years as an engineer or scientist might want to shift careers, he said yesterday. “We committed some extra funding to try to secure or trial programs for getting new, highly skilled individuals into the teaching profession,” Senator Birmingham said.

He also wants states to make it clear to universities where their employment priorities lie and create direct incentives.