Important data from NSW Budget Estimates: In desperation to fill the NSW teacher shortage (they created) the NSW Department of Education has shortlisted 139 overseas and interstate teachers, of whom over 50% come from just 2 countries: Fiji (44) and Zimbabwe (28). From interstate: only 13.

Overall there have been 2976 expressions of interest from overseas to work in NSW schools. The top 10 countries being: Fiji 1202, India 336, UK 307, USA 238, Zimbabwe 201, South Africa 184, Canada 97, Nigeria 58, Pakistan 45 and Ireland 43.

While I’m sure there’s some good teachers in this cohort, it’s a huge failure of policy that NSW has run out of our own young people who want to be teachers. We must lift the rewards and status of the profession, urgently. Plus lift the Vaccine Mandates now.

Most parents would want the overseas teachers to come from countries with the highest performing schools systems. The best in the world is Singapore, yet expressions of interest from there number just 5 with just 2 shortlisted to work in NSW schools.

Log in or sign up to view

See posts, photos and more on Facebook.