The State Government is making a country teacher allowance permanent.
Currently the payment expires after 5 or 8 years depending on location, and sees Riverland teachers picking up nearly $2000 extra per year than their city counterparts.
Yesterday the state government said this will now be permanent, with the hope of keeping teachers in regional areas for longer.
Education Minister Blair Boyer said “Retention beyond five years has been an issue in our country schools and preschools, as teachers choose to move back to the city after they’ve gained some initial experience”.
The Minister added further “By making the allowance ongoing, our government hopes that staff in country locations will choose to stay longer – providing staffing stability to schools and preschools”