Australian state Victoria attracting New Zealand early childhood teachers with incentives worth thousands of dollars

The Victoria Government is currently running a campaign, targeting New Zealand early childhood teachers to move to teach kindergarten. Photo / 123rf

New Zealand early childhood teachers are being lured to Australia, with one state offering relocation packages and bonuses worth up to A$50,000 ($55,200).

A recruiter said the incentives are a key driver in the level of interest they are seeing from New Zealand teachers looking to move.

But there is concern from the New Zealand union representing the sector, which said New Zealand is struggling to compete with Australia, and issues would be exacerbated if it lost more teachers.

The Victoria Government is currently running a campaign, targeting New Zealand early childhood teachers to move to teach kindergarten.

According to its website, individual incentives worth A$9000, plus relocation support, are available for all qualified early childhood head teachers or teachers moving.

Head teachers or teachers relocating alone can receive a further A$6000, and those moving with family or dependents a further A$8000.

There are also location incentives ranging from A$9000 to A$50,000 on offer if they take a role at selected services delivering free 3-year-old kindergarten.

The higher incentives on offer are for more remote, rural places.

Mel Morris from Talk Recruitment said with the programme in its third year, there has been a recent increase in weekly to monthly inquiries, because of an advertising campaign and referrals from teachers who they have already placed in jobs.

The incentives are “a huge driver” for teachers looking to relocate, she said.

Pay rates are also a factor, with a newly qualified teacher in New Zealand able to earn close to $10 more per hour in Australia, she said. Other drawcards are professional development opportunities, travel and being closer to family who have already moved.

“We’ve also got a number of teachers who have children in college in New Zealand wanting to relocate because they feel disillusioned with the NCEA curriculum, and they feel that their children might have better opportunities under the Australian curriculum,” Morris said.

Victorian-based Jessica Abrill, a team leader at recruiter ANZUK Education, said the state Government is rolling out subsidised early childhood education hours for more children, resulting in demand for teachers to move there.

They are currently working with nine teachers relocating in the new year.

But the process can take a couple of months, with teachers first needing to get their qualifications verified and obtain an Australian teaching registration card first, Abrill said.

Incoming 2025 NZEI ECE national executive representative and early childhood teacher, Zane McCarthy, said it’s clear Australia values New Zealand teachers and with better pay rates, staff are likely to take the offers up.

There is already a “chronic shortage” in the New Zealand sector and any more teachers leaving will exacerbate issues around ratios, a lack of learning support, and teacher workload, he said.

McCarthy said the sector would like the Government to listen to their concerns, improve pay and working conditions so that qualified teachers will “think twice before moving over to Australia”.

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