National Report on Schooling in Australia 2009
In 2009 there were 249,196 full-time equivalent (FTE) teaching staff in all primary and secondary schools in Australia, as shown in Table 3.4. (See
Glossary and notes to Tables 2 and 3 in the
Additional Statistics for definitions of FTE and teaching staff.)
Table 3.4 Full-time equivalent (FTE) of teaching staff by school sector, school level and sex, Australia, 2009
| |
Primary
|
Secondary
|
Total
|
|
Sector
|
Males
|
Females
|
Persons
|
Males
|
Females
|
Persons
|
Males
|
Females
|
Persons
|
|
Government
|
17,201
|
71,861
|
89,061
|
30,487
|
43,017
|
73,504
|
47,688
|
114,878
|
162,566
|
|
Catholic
|
3,899
|
17,902
|
21,800
|
10,579
|
14,428
|
25,007
|
14,478
|
32,330
|
46,807
|
|
Independent
|
3,478
|
11,653
|
15,130
|
11,075
|
13,618
|
24,693
|
14,552
|
25,271
|
39,823
|
|
Total non-government
|
7,376
|
29,555
|
36,931
|
21,654
|
28,046
|
49,700
|
29,030
|
57,600
|
86,630
|
|
All schools
|
24,577
|
101,415
|
125,992
|
52,141
|
71,063
|
123,204
|
76,718
|
172,478
|
249,196
|
Note: Staff employed in special schools are allocated to either primary or secondary education on a pro-rata basis.
Source: ABS, Cat. No. 4221.0, Schools, Australia, 2010
Australia’s teaching workforce was predominantly female, with women comprising 69% of FTE teachers and men comprising 31% of the total. At the primary level there were 125,992 FTE teaching staff employed and females comprised 101,415 (or 80%) of the total. Males comprised 24,577 (or 20%) of the total. In secondary schooling, there were 123,204 FTE teaching staff employed. Females comprised 71,063 (or 58%) of the total. Males comprised 52,141 (or 42%) of the total.
Government schools employed 162,566 FTE teaching staff; non-government schools employed a total of 86,630 FTE teaching staff.
The number of FTE teaching staff by school sector from 2005 to 2009 is shown in Table 3.5. Between 2005 and 2009 the number of FTE teaching staff grew by 13,402, from 235,794 to 249,196. FTE teachers at government schools increased from 156,564 to 162,566 and in the non-government sector from 79,231 to 86,630.
Table 3.5 Full-time equivalent (FTE) of teaching staff by school sector, Australia, 2005–2009
|
Sector
|
2005
|
2006
|
2007
|
2008
|
2009
|
|
Government
|
156,564
|
158,194
|
160,791
|
161,351
|
162,566
|
|
Non-government
|
79,231
|
81,445
|
83,567
|
85,755
|
86,630
|
| |
Catholic
|
43,971
|
44,870
|
45,716
|
46,390
|
46,807
|
| |
Independent
|
35,260
|
36,575
|
37,850
|
39,366
|
39,823
|
|
All schools
|
235,794
|
239,639
|
244,358
|
247,106
|
249,196
|
|
|
Source: ABS, Cat. No. 4221.0, Schools, Australia, 2010
The student–teacher ratio is defined as the number of FTE students per FTE teaching staff. A lower student–teacher ratio means there is a smaller number of students per teacher. Although there is a relationship between student–teacher ratios and class sizes, ratios are not, by themselves, a reliable indicator of class size. Average student–teacher ratios do not take into account the different requirements of different age groups/school years, of special needs students or of different subjects, especially in secondary schools. Nor do they reflect other administrative or specialist duties undertaken by teaching staff. These factors help to explain the consistently higher average student–teacher ratios in primary compared to secondary education.
Table 3.6 summarises average student–teacher ratios across the three school sectors in 2009.
Table 3.6 Full-time equivalent (FTE) student–teacher ratios, by sector and school level, Australia, 2009
|
Sector
|
Primary
|
Secondary
|
All schools
|
|
Government
|
15.5
|
12.3
|
14.0
|
|
Catholic
|
17.6
|
12.8
|
15.1
|
|
Independent
|
14.8
|
10.6
|
12.2
|
|
Total non-government
|
16.5
|
11.7
|
13.7
|
|
All schools
|
15.8
|
12.0
|
13.9
|
Source: ABS, Cat. No. 4221.0, Schools, Australia, 2010
Nationally, for all schools, the average student–teacher ratio was 13.9 in 2009. For government schools, the ratio was 14.0 and for non-government schools the ratio was 13.7.
For all primary schools in Australia the student–teacher ratio was 15.8 in 2009. For government primary schools the student–teacher ratio was 15.5 and for non-government primary schools the ratio was 16.5.
For all secondary schools in Australia the student–teacher ratio was 12.0 in 2009. For government secondary schools, the ratio was 12.3 and for non-government secondary schools, the ratio was 11.7.
Between 2005 and 2009 the average student–teacher ratio for all schools decreased from 14.2 to 13.9, as shown in Table 3.7.
Table 3.7 Full-time equivalent (FTE) student–teacher ratios, by sector and level of education, Australia, 2005–2009
|
School sector and level
|
2005
|
2006
|
2007
|
2008
|
2009
|
|
Government primary
|
16.1
|
15.8
|
15.7
|
15.6
|
15.5
|
|
Government secondary
|
12.4
|
12.4
|
12.3
|
12.3
|
12.3
|
|
Catholic primary
|
17.9
|
17.7
|
17.8
|
17.6
|
17.6
|
|
Catholic secondary
|
13.1
|
12.9
|
12.8
|
12.8
|
12.8
|
|
Independent primary
|
14.6
|
14.4
|
14.7
|
14.7
|
14.8
|
|
Independent secondary
|
10.7
|
10.7
|
10.5
|
10.5
|
10.6
|
|
All schools
|
14.2
|
14.1
|
14.0
|
13.9
|
13.9
|
Source: ABS, Cat. No. 4221.0, Schools, Australia, 2010
OECD Teaching and Learning International Survey
The
2008 Teaching and Learning International Survey (TALIS) was conducted in 23 countries and provides internationally comparable data on conditions affecting teachers in schools. The results suggest that in Australia, a high level of funding is allocated for staffing and that students benefit from below average class sizes. About 60 per cent of Australian teachers surveyed had been in the profession for more than 10 years. This was balanced by the finding that Australia has a relatively higher proportion (about 10%) of teachers who are in their first two years of teaching.
Quality teaching and school leadership
In 2009 the Council of Australian Governments (COAG) established the $550 million Improving Teacher Quality National Partnership to attract, train, place, develop and retain quality teachers in Australian classrooms. This was supported by funding in the 2009–10 Australian Budget, encouraging universities to improve teacher education and attract students to teaching.