Moving from the big smoke to the country for a new teaching job can be daunting. But with so much government support available – and so many amazing regional communities in need of educators – it’s a no-brainer.
In regional South Australia some of the amenities and services city slickers take for granted can be less accessible or further away. Couple that with the national teachers shortage, and it means country schools have far greater difficulty attracting staff than those in urban areas.
With more than a quarter of our state’s school and preschool students educated in regional SA, each year there’s demand for around 200 educators across regional, rural and remote SA. The teachers who fill these positions play a vital role not just in the education of children and young people, but also in the wider regional community.
That’s why the South Australian Government is leading the way with new, innovative approaches to recruit and retain talented teachers so that our regional students receive the education they deserve.
Regional scholarships
Thanks to the State Government’s Country Placement Scholarships, about 60 university students will gain firsthand teaching experience across regional South Australia during 2024.
Now in its second year, the program aims to encourage teachers in their final phase of training to explore the benefits of working in the country, and consider a move to a regional school or preschool when they graduate.
Scholarship recipients receive financial support for accommodation and living expenses during their placement in a country school or preschool, plus travel to and from their placement site. The scholarship even includes money for school or preschool staff to take students out and about to introduce them to the community.
A warm country welcome
The State Government has also launched a program called Teach First in Country which offers new university graduates extra support and financial incentives to start their teaching career in country South Australia. In total, 80 positions are being offered in country schools and preschools over the next two years.
As well as a permanent, full-time job, the program includes a week of team teaching, plus induction and networking events ahead of starting work. These events hook young country-bound teachers up with a support network so they feel less alone when they move.
Once on the job, the new teachers are provided with an experienced teacher to mentor them through their first five weeks, with in-class support and one-on-one feedback sessions to ease the new teacher into their new role.
Help for housing
Following a successful pilot, the Country Housing Service has been expanded to support teachers moving to country schools and preschools across the state in 2024. The expansion of the service is desperately needed, with rental availability in most country locations below one per cent.
This service takes the stress out of the new country teachers’ big move, delivering practical support to provide them with the important stuff – suitable housing with subsidised rent, internet provision and even basic cooking lessons if needed!
Cash bonus
If all that isn’t enough to make a tree- or sea-change sound like a pretty sweet deal, teachers who move to the country are also paid a cash bonus of $20,000 over two years. They can use this to help them get set up in their new home or to pay off their HECS-HELP debt.
And starting this year, teachers who work in regional South Australian schools will receive a permanent monetary incentive to stay. The Country Incentive Zone Allowance rewards teachers with up to $10,023 annually – on top of their usual salary – for as long as they remain in the bush.
Annie Boyd’s story
When self-described “city girl” Annie Boyd started her teaching degree, she always knew she wanted to work in the country after graduation.
“I had my heart set on it from the start. That country opportunity professionally and personally embodied all of those things I was really passionate about,” says Annie, who was born and bred in Adelaide. “I definitely value a bit of a slower life and that country lifestyle.”
Annie was surprised how few of her fellow students shared her enthusiasm for teaching in the country. She puts it down to fear of change – which she wasn’t immune from either. “It’s definitely very difficult to leave home,” she says.
Nevertheless, she “bit the bullet” last year and applied for a Country Placement Scholarship, which she won, and was sent to John Pirie Secondary School in Port Pirie for four weeks in the classroom.
“As soon as I got to Port Pirie, I just fell in love with it, and decided to apply for jobs there. I desperately wanted to come back,” Annie says. “It’s a lovely community to come into.”
Why Annie loves the country
“The biggest difference I felt right from the get go was the staff culture and community culture – that’s something I’m super passionate about,” says Annie. “To walk in here and instantly feel so welcomed, so supported and so valued for what I could bring to the table isn’t something that would usually happen in a large metropolitan school. This is a school and community I feel really comfortable and safe in.”
She’s now a permanent, full-time teacher at John Pirie Secondary School through the Teach First in Country program. While she hasn’t been there long, she says it’s beginning to feel a lot like home, “which is awesome”. Plus there’s always Zoom when she needs to talk to loved ones in Adelaide!
“When I told a lot of the people in my life that I planned to come to Port Pirie, there were a lot of worried and confused looks at first,” she says.
But once she explained all the professional and financial benefits of moving to the country to teach, it seemed “like a no-brainer” to a lot of people. “It’s such a well-supported pathway that’s made the transition very smooth, so I couldn’t recommend it more highly.” She says the government support she’s received has been “invaluable” – even those cooking classes have come in handy!
“My advice to teachers is if you are looking for a change of scenery or a new professional challenge, just take the chance – the support is there for you. The government is adding a lot of incredible incentives to take these chances and come out to try your hand at regional education.”
Thinking about studying teaching?
Whether you’ve recently finished school or are going through a quarter-life crisis, there’s never been a better time to switch your career to teaching.
The Australian Government is offering extra subsidised places in undergraduate teaching qualifications, plus 5000 scholarships of up to $40,000 to new undergraduate and postgraduate students who commit to teaching after finishing their degrees. Scholarships will be available over five rounds, with 1000 per year to be offered from 2024 to 2028.
For First Nations people, there are also the Amy Levai Aboriginal teaching scholarships. These provide $5000 for First Nations secondary students or $20,000 for university students who are committed to teaching.
Already have a degree in another field? Then the Teach for Australia program is for you. This program allows talented graduates in subject specialist fields to do their masters of education while teaching in regional classrooms.
For more information on country teaching incentives and opportunities, click here.
