Group to address teacher shortage

Anew Horsham education advocacy group will host a forum today with the aim of developing ways to attract more teachers to the region.

Horsham Alliance of Schools site director Liz Moody said the forum, at Federation University, provided an opportunity for university and school leaders to get together and address a teacher shortage.

Ms Moody said she believed some metropolitan university students were reluctant to move to rural areas because of family, friendship groups or other general responsibilities.

She said university and school leaders planned to work together to support and endorse the placement of trainee teachers who might look to relocate.

Ms Moody said some of the schools involved in the alliance were struggling to find casual replacement teachers.

“Staff are stretched to cover classes and ensure students are not without a teacher for the day,” she said.

Ms Moody said she believed there was a general lack of teachers across the state.

“Employment in a range of professions is difficult to attract and retain workers. Hospitality, farming and the building industries are all struggling,” she said.

Ms Moody said she believed attracting students from regional and rural backgrounds was easier than attracting people from metropolitan areas.

“That really depends on their motivation. Some staff are keen to stay in Melbourne if they have moved from the Wimmera to attend university and some are keen to come home,” she said.

“Some teaching staff are looking to retire now they can travel freely, and some have postponed their long-service leave and would like to recharge their batteries.

“Others would like to reduce their workload, from full time to either part time or casual.”

English, humanities and religious education teacher Timothy Weber, who moved from Melbourne to Horsham, said he ‘absolutely’ supported the idea of the Horsham Alliance.

However, he said new teachers struggled to find housing when they arrived in Horsham.

“The rental situation here in Horsham is probably the biggest impediment to get teachers to move to the rural city,” he said.

“I was lucky because my school was able to find accommodation for me.”

Mr Weber, a teacher at St Brigid’s College, said other personal issues he had dealt with was a lack of transport infrastructure from western Victoria to Melbourne.

“As much as I wanted to say yes to the job in Horsham, it wasn’t easy,” he said.

“There is no direct or daily train service to Melbourne and although I drive, that makes seeing family or friends in Melbourne or Ballarat difficult.”

Mr Weber said regional and rural settings in the state gave young teachers a chance to work.

He said one of the main reasons he came to Horsham was the job market in Melbourne was difficult.

Mr Weber said he was encouraged by his teaching mentors to move to a regional area.

“I decided to go for an interview with a school here on a whim,” he said.

“The interview was much more friendly than with schools in Melbourne. I got a great impression of the school.”

Mr Weber said he ‘loved’ working at St Brigid’s and could see himself working at the school for the immediate future.

“St Brigid’s is a great school. There is a lot of care shown for its students and its staff and you don’t get that just anywhere,” he said.

School leaders involved in the alliance include representatives from Horsham College, Horsham Primary School, Horsham Special School, Horsham West and Haven Primary School, Dimboola Primary School and Dimboola Memorial Secondary College, Horsham Holy Trinity Lutheran College, Murtoa College, Murtoa’s Our Lady Help of Christians Primary School, Ss Michael and John’s Primary School and St Brigid’s College.