Attraction and retention of staff in Queensland secondary schools : factors and implications

Australian public policy has long focused on the quality of education as a means to develop the nation’s economic and social progress. Secondary school education is a key phase in the education system, where most students form their analytical ability and decide on their future career direction. One of the serious problems facing secondary education systems is the attraction and retention of high quality teachers in specialised areas such as sciences, mathematics and technology. Hence, there is a need to develop innovative strategies to recruit educators to meet the current demand and for future generation. This paper aims to explore the factors for choosing teaching as a career. Relevant variables of a teaching career attraction were framed through an extensive literature review and then these were discussed with relevant stakeholders. A questionnaire was devised addressing these variables and a survey was conducted to Year-12, University Students and Secondary Teachers in Queensland. The paper concludes with some strategic guidelines to attracting and retaining the teachers at secondary level.