Fully qualified teachers are seeking employment elsewhere as the teacher supply and demand situation in Mackay continues to worsen.

At the same time, there has been a significant slump in student numbers and graduates in the education faculty at the local CQUniversity Mackay campus, with half the enrolments of two years ago.

By student reporter Erin Webb

Campus Academic Manager for the Faculty of Arts, Humanities & Education in Mackay, Cecily Knight says the result is due to an over-supply of education graduates in previous years who were not receiving permanent positions.

Without permanency, prospective teachers are subjected to the uncertainty of contract, supply or relief work only, thus hindering possibilities of accessing essentials such as house and car loans.  The unreliability of income is driving graduates out of the profession.

Jody Nicholson of Mackay is one teacher who has chosen to seek employment outside the education system.

Nicholson says that after graduating as a primary teacher, she spent six months doing supply work while awaiting a permanent position.

‘It is not a reliable income.  I need to know that I was able to pay the bills,' says Nicholson.

‘Your name automatically gets listed with the district head office.  I never received the phone call and I wasn't the only one, a lot of others were waiting too,' says Nicholson.  ‘I got sick of not knowing where I would be from day to day and what location'.

On the other end of the spectrum, Principal Human Resource Manager for Education Queensland in Mackay, Chris Cook, says the organization in Mackay is continually seeking teachers to fill contract vacancies. Schools in Mackay and across the state are experiencing a lack of teachers, specifically in specialised areas of Maths, science, Manual Arts and Information technology.

‘When we can't find a long-term solution to a vacancy we have been able to put in local supply teachers'.

Cook says that Education Queensland is mindful of the growing concerns of student continuity and the organization endeavours to fill vacancies with suitably qualified replacements.

‘I don't believe services to students in High Schools are being impacted,' says Cook.

However, local TRS agent, Di Ballard says the shortage is having a significant effect on the day-to-day supply teaching services in the area. Schools are resorting to calling in teacher aides to support a registered teacher in doubling up classes when a teacher can't be found and others have had to distribute the students to other classrooms.  Teachers who have resigned are also being called upon to relieve the supply situation.

‘We can have up to 50 or an even higher number of people away.  This is a lot for this area,' says Ballard. ‘We have to cover the classroom teachers first and if there are staff left over, we cover the specialists'.

Cook says the best way of addressing the crisis is to encourage school seniors to enter the profession.

‘We need to make teaching as appealing as possible to school leavers,' says Cook.

Education Queensland is planning to combat the teacher shortage in Mackay and across the state by implementing new recruitment processes and incentives.

Cook says Education Queensland is strategically addressing the possibility of offering scholarships and HECS support to those who go on to study specialised areas of teaching.

The envisioned proposal will have to contend with external factors faced by the Mackay region.  The combined effect of the mining boom and the February floods has notably increased the cost of living and Mackay continues to suffer a lack of all service workers with the area labelled as unaffordable.

Rental properties have increased from $300 to $900 per week and the median housing price is at an average of $386 500.

Cooks says where possible, Education Queensland will offer housing support.