Remedying Australia’s Teacher Shortage
Commentary
On Aug. 12, Australia’s education ministers released a National Action Plan on the teacher shortage. But reading the ministers’ statement on the action plan reveals that the proposed strategies amount to not much more than aspirational comments.
The statement indicates that the education ministers paid tribute to teachers for their work, acknowledged the critical role they play, and applauded the existing cohort of teachers for their resilience and dedication during the pandemic.
But behind its promises of action, the plan lacks the detail and depth to constitute a meaningful proposal.
Certainly, the education ministers correctly characterised the problem of a teacher shortage as a challenging issue. However, nowhere in the statement is there an attempt at understanding the root causes of the problem….