The problem with staffing rural schools: Attracting new teachers to country schools remains one of the biggest challenges in Australian education

Abstract

Encouraging student teachers to complete placements in rural schools as a way to address the chronic shortage of teachers in the bush isn’t working. Our recent study found that, while pre-service teachers were keen to have a ‘rural’ experience, the reality of isolation and limited school resources makes teaching in these schools unattractive; particularly for students from metropolitan backgrounds.