What attracts teachers to rural and remote schools? Incentivising teachers’ employment choices in New South Wales

Abstract

Staffing rural and regional schools remains an intractable problem. This study identifies effective incentives for attracting teachers to difficult-to-staff rural and remote schools in New South Wales (NSW), Australia. Compared to their urban counterparts, students in these schools are disadvantaged by teacher staff shortages, inexperience and attrition. The research investigated the ability for existing incentives of the NSW Department of Education, other education systems and other professions to attract professionals to rural and remote appointments using a discrete choice experiment methodology. The findings identify ways of attracting teachers of differing levels of experience and commitment to work in such areas.