Retraining program to boost maths teacher numbers

A teacher retraining program has been launched by the NSW Government, aimed at increasing the number of maths teachers in regional and remote public schools.

The program will cover course fees for Master, Graduate Diploma or Graduate Certificate for current teachers to retrain as a maths teacher.

Minister for Education and Early Learning Sarah Mitchell said the Mathematics Teacher Retraining Program would reduce barriers for teachers and boost expertise in regional classrooms.

“To be a maths teacher you need a major or minor in pure or applied mathematics in a bachelor/postgraduate qualification, which can be difficult to obtain while employed full-time, making it hard for existing teachers to become qualified maths teachers,” Mitchell said.

“The government is making it easier for our teachers in the country to retrain and keep that valuable expertise in their local schools.”

Initial teacher education providers would develop innovative and flexible courses specifically for the program to ensure teachers did not spend unnecessary hours retraining.

“Key to faster retraining is recognising teachers’ existing experience so they can retrain as quickly as possible,” Mitchell said.

The Teacher Retraining Grants for partner providers open for applications on Tuesday, 19 May 2022. It is expected that the pilot will start in early 2023 with an initial cohort of approximately 40 teachers.

The Mathematics Teacher Retraining Program is part of the $125 million Teacher Supply Strategy, a multi-pronged response to attracting, developing and retaining teachers.

Since the 10-year strategy was launched five months ago, substantial progress has been made, including:

• More than 3000 expressions of interest for the Beyond NSW Program, with 150 applications in the final stages of assessment and approval. The first recruits are expected in schools by the end of 2022.
• The first 50 participants in the Mid-Career Transition to Teaching Program have started their studies and will be in schools in the second half of the year. A further 25 will join them in 2023.
• The first 50 FASTstream participants in schools already, as part of a program accelerating high-quality teachers and graduates to leadership positions in regional schools. A further 50 teachers will join them in 2023.

Image caption: Boosting expertise in the bush — new program will help teachers in regional areas retrain as maths teachers.