The Morrison Government is providing $40 million in new funding to Teach for Australia (TFA) and La Trobe University’s innovative Nexus program as a central pillar in the Coalition’s plan to lift student outcomes.
The funding will support 700 new TFA teachers and 60 new teachers through the Nexus program. This will enable Teach for Australia to double the number of exceptional teachers it trains and places, focusing on regional and remote areas and STEM subjects – where teacher shortages are greatest.
This new investment in these proven teaching programs is a key commitment in the Morrison Government’s plan for schools, which was released today. The plan outlines how the Government will return Australia to being one of the top education nations – through a strong curriculum, quality teaching and engaged classrooms.
Acting Minister for Education and Youth, Stuart Robert, said the investment in TFA builds on the consistent support from the Coalition Government.
“We have invested in Teach for Australia to place more than 400 new teachers in regional and disadvantaged schools since 2019. Currently, more than 50 per cent of TFA teachers are in regional and remote schools and more than 40 per cent are teaching maths or science subjects,” Minister Robert said.
“This new investment will enable Teach for Australia to double its reach and impact, helping to address teacher shortages and lift student outcomes right across the country.
“Our schools plan makes it clear that only the Coalition Government will give teachers and families the support they need for even stronger schools: with record funding and a commitment to boost standards.”
Today, the Morrison Government releases ‘Our Plan for Raising School Standards’, which includes a clear roadmap for excellence in Australian schools backed in by new investments:
- $40 million to support 700 new Teach for Australia teachers and 60 new teachers through La Trobe’s Nexus program
- $13.4 million to support changes to accreditation standards, including working with state and territory governments to lead a return to the one-year Graduate Diploma of Education, which will reduce the barriers stopping great mid-career professionals from taking their skills and experience to the classroom
- $10.8 million to develop new micro-credentials in classroom management, phonics and explicit teaching, and to support the expansion of the Quality Teaching Rounds program
- $7.2 million to provide professional resources and development opportunities for teachers and school leaders; develop a national data set to build a longitudinal picture measuring the impact of COVID-19; and bring together teachers, school leaders, academics, students and parents as part of a National Summit to discuss the challenges of returning to school after two years of disruption, along with proven strategies on how to improve classroom order.
Along with the funding announced in February to develop a new performance assessment framework for ITE courses, the commitments outlined today bring the Government’s investment in response to Lisa Paul’s Quality Initial Teacher Education Review to more than $70 million.
The new investments announced today build on the Morrison Government’s record schools funding, which totals $318.9 billion to all schools from 2018-2029 under the Quality Schools package.
The Government has nearly doubled schools funding over the past decade, from $13 billion in 2013 to $25.3 billion in 2022. Funding is growing fastest for government schools, at around 4.7 per cent per student each year, compared to per student growth of 3.8 per cent for the non-government sector.Only the Morrison Government has a plan to continue delivering a strong economy and a stronger future for Australians.