Page 12 - ELG2309 Sep Issue 486

NEWS FEATURE .

The teacher lowdown, down under

An anonymous contributor, who has been working in Australia for the
past six months, sheds light on the Australian teacher shortage from
their personal point-of-view.

n July 2022, Melanie Butler
reported that the ESL/ELICOS ELICOS = English Language
industry in Australia is Intensive Course for
Iexperiencing a teacher shortage. Overseas Students: students
A year later, not much has come to Australia for
changed. intensive (20 hours/week)
Historically, the ELICOS English courses, as opposed
industry in Australia enjoys a to studying for, typically,
supply of teachers coming from 3-4 hours/week in a language
the UK, US, or citizens of other centre in their home country.
countries who can get a Working These students are likely
Holiday Visa (WHV). It is a on a student visa, and are
really attractive option; friendly mandated to study full-time.
weather, a lot of teaching hours, Student visa holders are
high hourly salary, multilingual also permitted to work for
classes, a chance to travel to a a maximum of 48 hours/
very different part of the world fortnight.
with essentially no need for
learning another language.
Teacher training and CELTA including permanent resident
is not a really big business in visas. The shortage of TESOL
Australia; there is a steady supply teachers is taken seriously
of local teachers completing because Australia’s economy
CELTA, but the primary stream heavily depends on international
of revenue is from international students: These students keep
students doing ELICOS. The the economy running through
language schools are not known tuition fees, and many industries
for sponsoring a work visa, since rely heavily on those with student avoiding paying a teacher when other side, in a highly-casualised
they have several reliable ways of visas who are most likely willing they could not get to work. industry like ELICOS, full-time
recruiting teachers. to work for $25AUD (~£12GBP Imagine you are a hiring contract is rather unusual, and
However, all of that had to stop or $16USD), or so, per hour. manager at Amazon or Google. normally could only be offered to
during the COVID-19 pandemic. This author, so far, has You find a very qualified and citizens and permanent residents,
Students and teachers are not worked in cities in five different experienced engineer, but instead resulting in a chicken-and-egg
able to come to Australia anymore Australian states since the of offering them full-time, you tell situation.
and a lot of language centres had beginning of 2023. The ELICOS them that you want them to work There are benefits of casual
to close or downsize. Many of industry, despite the strong casually first for a few months to work for some people; for
the local teachers retrained for recovery – student numbers see if they are any good, and then example, postgraduate students
different jobs. recently have been higher than you might consider offering a full- or homemakers who need extra
Now that the pandemic is over, pre-pandemic levels – does time contract. Sounds ridiculous! income. But there are others
the industry has been recovering, not know how to respond to Yet, this is exactly what some who do this as their career, and
but many of the local teachers did the teacher shortage. ELICOS schools have said to potential sometimes they do not know
not go back to teaching. On top is highly casualised; some of teachers; teachers who work whether or not they have work
of that, there are not that many the schools this author worked very hard and hold DELTA and next month! It is quite normal
teachers with WHV anymore, at employ all their teachers MA, but get little more respect for a teacher to be on casual/
though the reason for this remains as hourly-paid/casuals. This than a teacher who just finished relief for 5+ schools, and they
a mystery to this author. The has worked really well for the CELTA. just wait around for what comes
shortage of teachers is so severe, industry for a long time, but it This author is seeking for a up next month. So, with the lack
that for the first time in history, makes little sense; some teachers full-time contract, as it is one of of stability it is natural that some
the TESOL profession is listed in the author worked with have the requirements to apply for a teachers decided to leave the
the Department of Immigration’s been a casual for five years, permanent visa, but most schools industry and never came back.
Skilled Occupation List: a list and somehow the school is just do not understand why it In short, the ELICOS industry
that contains professions in able to keep avoiding the legal is necessary. Perhaps there are seems to be fully aware of the
shortage in Australia. Professions obligation to offer them a full- management-related reasons that teacher shortage. However,
such as accountants, engineers time contract, essentially voiding were not communicated with the most language schools are happy
and scientists, primary and the teachers from getting annual teachers; after all, they are all with operating like they did pre-
secondary school teachers, and leave days, sick leave, and the businesses in the end. On one side, pandemic: with no intention of
virtually all medical professions general security and stability of the Department of Immigration revising their working conditions
have been on the list for a long a contract. Some managers are asks for a full-time contract as or seriously addressing the
time, and these occupations even proud to be able to offer a blanket statement for most shortage. It is about time they
have a number of visa options, ‘flexibility’. In reality, this is just permanent visa applicants. On the received a wake-up call!
12 September 2023