That’s according to associate lecturer Jamie Sherson from ACU, who runs the university’s Step Up into Teaching (SUIT) program, designed to give Year 11 and 12 students an early taster of what’s in store if they opt to join Australia’s teaching ranks.
Enrolments have surged by more than 50 per cent this year, compared to last year’s intake.
Sherson says there’s a real sense of renewed optimism in the sector.
“We’re seeing some massive numbers in our Brisbane campus, in excess of a 40 per cent increase year-on-year so far in the last year or so…
“But also, I feel like there’s a bit of a change in the tide in terms of the energy around high school students. I think teaching seems to be an opportunity for a lot of them, or they see it as a bit of a difference maker,” he tells EducationHQ.
This is really testament to the work of our practising teachers, Sherson says.
“I think there’s a real, deep feeling that resonates with that (younger) generation that they can actually make a difference.
“And I feel like that’s mirrored from some of their own experiences as students, where they’ve obviously been nurtured by their in-service teachers, whether it was at a primary or secondary point.
“It just goes to show the impact that our in-service teachers are currently having on the next generation, that they are excellent role models, and many of our students aspire to be just like them.”
Sherson reports that the university is also seeing a significant number of career changers who are keen to shift into teaching.
“We’re finding that education is what people are wanting to move to, whether it is the start of a career or a change of a career, and it is actually hard to pinpoint why.
“…but like I said, I genuinely feel like it’s the amazing teachers that we have now in classrooms that are building those relationships with the students, and they’ve been through a lot (with COVID in their own schooling experience)…”
Teacher shortages and early career attrition have been deemed ‘serious and longstanding’ issues in Australia, albeit reflective of broader global workforce trends.
A 2024 survey by the Australian Education Union found that of 953 schools, 83 per cent had teacher shortages – a rate nearly three times historic levels.
Almost one-third of the 12,381 teachers surveyed said they planned to leave the profession before retirement, with just 15 per cent sure they would stay in teaching.
Teacher recruitment and retention issues also disproportionately affect schools in regional, rural and remote locations and those serving disadvantaged communities.
Aspiring teachers’ 'ethical competence' should be developed in ITE, a recent study has proposed.
A recent study investigated how nine Australian principals from ‘hard to staff’ schools view teacher quality, and how they assess the ‘readiness’ of uni graduates to teach in their context.
The study found schools leaders view the common regulations and standards around being ‘classroom ready’ as too narrow and too focused on technical capacity.
Aspiring teachers’ ethical competence should be developed in ITE, the researchers propose.
“For the principals in our study, graduates’ readiness is closely aligned to relational care practices that prioritise reciprocal professional relationships and sensitivity to context…”
The study calls for a “renewed focus, during ITE, on situated professional ethics so that preservice teachers build holistic professional competence and professionalism that can be subsequently developed over time in their professional learning contexts”.
But teaching’s attrition problem also needs attention, Sherson says.
“I think attrition is something that is often attributed to our profession in particular, but that’s just because our profession is so outward-facing.
“What we try to do in our degrees, and specifically around SUIT, is that kind of early exposure to the demands of teaching and providing points of inspiration, but also making sure that [students] know of the challenges that will face them during their careers.
“That becomes our job to focus on developing self-awareness, goal-setting, reflective practice, all the things that are essential tools to navigate the realities of a classroom.”
Inducting aspiring teachers into the uni’s ‘fraternity’ of teachers is a very deliberate move, he adds.
“We also try and put our students in front of current ACU students – whether that’s their tutors or other in-classroom teachers, and introduce them to the fraternity of teachers.
“It’s a team that they’re joining, and we hope that our students learn how to seek to support, build peer networks, maintain their own wellbeing.
“And they’re not just optional extras, but it’s actually quite important to keep and sustain themselves and have a fulfilling career.
“We find that those elements can fortify against potential attrition and increase our retention rate within the industry.”
