'Annual Salary of 160 Million Won'... Australia Proposes Bold Plan to Solve Teacher Shortage

Plan Announced to Increase Salaries of High-Achieving Excellent Teachers by 40%
Teacher Shortage Emerges as a Social Issue

The Australian government has announced a plan to increase the salaries of outstanding teachers by 40%. The photo is not related to the specific content of the article. [Image source=Pixabay]

[Asia Economy Intern Reporter Kim Gun-chan] The Australian government has unveiled a plan to offer top teachers an annual salary of up to 160 million KRW to address the teacher shortage.

On the 2nd (local time), Australian daily The Australian and others reported that the Australian Institute for Teaching and School Leadership (AITSL), a government agency, announced a plan to increase the salaries of high-achieving outstanding teachers by 40%.

Under this plan, the annual salary of outstanding teachers is expected to rise to 175,000 AUD (approximately 157 million KRW), including a bonus of 50,000 AUD (about 45 million KRW).

According to AITSL, 1,025 teachers, accounting for 0.3% of all teachers in Australia, have been certified as outstanding teachers.

Additionally, to secure teachers from professional fields such as lawyers, engineers, and IT specialists, a plan was revealed to provide paid internships for 6 to 12 months while they complete a master's degree in education. This financial support aims to facilitate easy career transitions for professionals wishing to switch to teaching.

Mark Grant, CEO of AITSL, said, "In Australia, high-achieving outstanding teachers currently receive only about 10% more pay than other teachers," adding, "We plan to increase their salaries by up to 40% to continuously retain them in the teaching profession."

Teacher shortages have emerged as a serious social issue in Australia. While the number of elementary, middle, and high school students steadily increases, the number of teacher applicants has sharply declined each year.

Federal Education Minister Jason Clare stated, "The number of teacher applicants has decreased by 16% over the past decade," and added, "Existing teachers often leave the profession early due to excessive workloads, exacerbating the shortage."