(1) Teachers choose to leave the Department of Education for a number of reasons, such as resignation, retirement and medical retirement.
2016: 1,248
2017: 1,306
2018: 1,184
2019: 1,111
2020: 1,245
(a)
2016: 1,086
2017: 1,168
2018: 1,043
2019: 951
2020: 956
(b)
(i) English
2016: 135
2017: 137
2018: 136
2019: 122
2020: 144
(ii) Mathematics
2016: 132
2017: 131
2018: 121
2019: 110
2020: 98
(iii) Science
2016: 109
2017: 102
2018: 107
2019: 103
2020: 85
(iv) Human Society and its environment
2016: 104
2017: 122
2018: 76
2019: 72
2020: 81
(v) PDHPE
2016: 57
2017: 59
2018: 53
2019: 59
2020: 58
(vi) Creative and Performing Arts
2016: 91
2017: 96
2018: 84
2019: 79
2020: 79
(vii) Languages
2016: 28
2017: 45
2018: 33
2019: 26
2020: 22
(viii) Technological and applied students
2016: 139
2017: 130
2018: 150
2019: 131
2020: 148
(ix) Special and inclusive education
2016: 39
2017: 69
2018: 66
2019: 64
2020: 60
(x) Other positions including principals, executive staff, teachers in careers, English as second language, library, vocational education and counselling roles
2016: 252
2017: 277
2018: 217
2019: 185
2020: 181
(c) The Department of Education has a number of strategies in place to retain high school teachers, for example:
- Beginning Teacher Support Funding offers funding to schools with beginning teachers to support their professional development. In 2020, over 3,300 teachers were supported with access to beginning teacher support funding. Approximately $48 million was distributed to schools in 2020/2021.
- The Rural and Remote Incentives Scheme offers financial and non-financial to attract and retain teachers in regional and remote schools. The Department is currently reviewing these incentives to maximise benefits for rural and remote schools.
- The new FASTstream program offers an accelerated pathway for high performing teachers and high potential teaching graduates to become principals within 10 years. The first cohort of 50 FASTstream participants will start the program in 2022.
The 2021-22 budget allocated $124.8 million over four years to implement the Teacher Supply Strategy, which aims to attract and retain high-performing teachers for NSW schools.
