A week before the first day of school 15 new teachers bound for Katherine classrooms have been welcomed by the Minister for Education at a two day orientation in Darwin.
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The new recruits join 315 new teachers commencing their careers across the Northern Territory, while only 175 attended the orientation.
The Katherine teachers are a welcome addition to schools following a tumultuous 2019 marred by budget cuts, which saw almost 30 educators packing their bags.
The number was double that of 2018, which saw eleven positions needing to be filled, and does not include two principals also departing.
This year, 61 of the 175 teachers in the midst of orientation have moved to the NT from Victoria, while 31 are Territory residents. Eight have relocated from overseas.
Sixty-five of the new teachers are recent graduates and 110 have vast experience in a classroom. One third of the bunch (57) are headed to remote schools.
"The Territory Labor Government will always invest in education and today it is my pleasure to welcome 330 new teachers to the Territory for the 2020 school year," Minister for Education, Selena Uibo said.
"As a teacher myself, I know it is one of the most rewarding careers in the world and I congratulate all our new recruits in taking the step to help shape a bright future for all of our Territory kids."
Despite the NT Government's contentious decision to cut $500,000 from teacher's rental subsidies last year -- a lucrative incentive to attract teachers to the highly transient town - Ms Uibo said the government is investing "a record $1.16 billion in education to give all our Territory young people the best start in life."
"But we know we cannot achieve that without our dedicated teachers," she said.
"...We are supporting our teachers to deliver the best education to our students because we know when our teachers are at their best, our students are at their best."
School resumes next week in the Northern Territory, with the majority of Katherine students back on Wednesday, January 29.
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