Rural and Remote Education Inquiry Briefing Paper
Rural and Remote
Education Inquiry Briefing Paper
2. Rural and remote teacher
allowances and incentives
Teacher allowances
and incentives can include a range of income supplements and resource
options. Some States and Territories provide locality allowances for teachers
under categories of remoteness. In most cases these allowances are minimal
and do not offset the living costs. Housing provision and housing subsidies
are essential in many remote communities. The provision of this resource
varies across the States and Territory. In some instances, teachers will
not have any choice about their living arrangements and if they are single
they may be obliged to share accommodation.
Leave entitlements
and transfer options are also incentives for teachers. Many new graduates
take positions in rural and remote schools knowing that after the requisite
number of years they will have the opportunity to transfer back to a metropolitan
region.
Leave entitlements
do not really constitute a teacher incentive. Instead, the extra few days
are provided in acknowledgment of the time taken to travel extra distances
to visit family and friends.
The following table
lists rural and remote teacher allowances and incentives in each State
and Territory for which the Inquiry has information.
Comparison
of Australian State and Territory Teacher Allowances and Incentives (Government
schools only)
| Salary allowances | Housing subsidy | Travel allowances | PD rural
remote specific |
Transfer
options |
Incentives
for new recruits |
PD & scholarships
AEW & AIEW |
Leave entitlements | |
| Tas | - | Limited subsidised
hostel accommodation |
For Bass Strait
Islands 1 trip per year reimbursed |
- | After 3 years
automatic transfer out |
Limited scholarships
for maths, science and info tech teachers |
Through the
Office of Aboriginal Affairs |
- |
| Vic | Minor allowance
for Remote Class A |
? | ? | ? | ? | ? | ? | ? |
| NSW | Locality allowance | Some subsidised
housing |
Yes | - | Points system
for transfer |
- | Payment of HECS
scholarships |
7 extra days
per year |
| Qld | Locality allowance | Subsidised rental
scheme, rental rebates, single teachers must share |
- | Some additional
funding |
Transfer system
points related to remoteness |
- | Contributions
to HECS & provision of on site coordinators and tutors |
5 extra days
per year |
| NT | Professional's
Isolation Allowance from $300 to $1 200pa |
Housing Subsidy
Rental rebate, accommodation provided but in poor repair |
Reimbursed fares
from isolated locations |
- | Study points
scheme, 20 points provides 6 months leave |
- | No scholarships
for AIEWs. One six month study leave award per year |
4 extra days
per year |
| WA | 3 categories
of allowance depending on location |
With conditions
single teachers are required to share housing |
Yes | - | Transfer system
merit selection can work against staff |
- | - | Remote schools
only |
| SA | Locality allowance
on sliding scale depending on distance to Adelaide |
After 4 years | Removal Allowance.
Reimbursed travel for medical purposes |
Yes | Yes | Limited recruitment
activities |
No scholarships.
Some on site training for AEWs wanting to move through the career structure |
Yes |
Last
updated 2 December 2001.
