Independent Schools Australia (ISA) has welcomed the Australian Government’s announcement of the new Commonwealth Prac Payment, which will see student teachers across all school sectors receive much needed financial support during their mandatory workplace placements.
“We are pleased that Minister Clare and the Government are listening and taking a proactive step to help ease cost-of-living pressures on our future educators,” ISA CEO Mr Graham Catt said.
“This will allow many teaching students to focus on their studies and practical training with extra financial support. Teaching is one of the most vital professions in our society, and it is essential that we support our educators from the outset to maintain a strong teacher workforce into the future.”
Australia currently faces a teacher supply and retention crisis, which impacts all schools across all three school sectors. This is especially evident in regional and remote areas where schools often experience limited applications and high staff turnover.
“Our schools consistently report difficulties in attracting and retaining staff, a challenge also experienced by our Catholic and government counterparts, and the research shows that preparing teachers better for the classroom enhances teacher retention,” Mr Catt said.
“The means-tested Commonwealth Prac Payment is a positive step to help trainee teachers have a successful experience during their workplace training by alleviating some of the financial stress.”
ISA looks forward to seeing this support implemented for university students so they can continue their degrees and contribute to the education sector.
ISA is the national peak body representing 1,216 Independent schools with close to 720,000 enrolled students, accounting for approximately 17 per cent of Australian school enrolments and a workforce of 122,000 people.
