Nannies who teach hot ticket

AN increasingly competitive education system is prompting a rise in the modern-day “Mary Poppins” governess to help children ace their NAPLAN exams and give them an edge over other students.

Nannying agencies say there has been a surge in the number of parents seeking qualified nannies with degrees in childcare, education and even psychology to help children survive in an increasingly cutthroat schooling system.

Burnt out teachers are earning as much as $125,000 a year as governesses, using their skills in one-on-one education to support families, particularly in NAPLAN “season”.

“We are finding it has become much more mainstream now,” said Scarlett Hyde, CEO of White Gloves Services International, which offers governesses with a range of education qualifications.

Ms Hyde said she has seen a rise in the past five years of families seeking former teachers to act as governesses: “Previously families were happy with anyone qualified in early education but now over 80 per cent of clients are specifically asking for teachers.”

President of the Australian Nanny Association, Lauren Brown, said it had also seen an increase in parents looking for nannies to help with school work, and prepare for school.

“There is a much bigger focus on kids learning to count and read and write before they go to school,” she said.

We are seeing members with teaching backgrounds being asked to teach kids rigorous early literacy programs before they start school.”

Dr Christina Ho, Associate Professor at the University of Technology, said the shift in the Australian education system towards a more competitive environment is having a detrimental impact on students and families.