School's back for new NSW inquiry into teacher shortage

This inquiry was established on January 9 to delve into "the adequacy of the government's response to teacher shortages and education outcomes" and will be chaired by firebrand MP Mark Latham.

NSW Teachers Federation president Angelo Gavrielatos, who is due to front the inquiry, says the shortage is an accumulation over the last decade of unsustainable workloads, uncompetitive salaries and insecure work.

He maintains the shortage will only worsen with rising enrolments, an ageing workforce and a 30 per cent decline in the number of people studying to become a teacher.

A separate inquiry that handed down its report in November said "failure to act decisively now, at a point where we are clearly experiencing acute teacher shortages across the state, will harm both current and future generations and their academic outcomes".

The government is due to respond to that report on  February 8.

Both major political parties visited schools in western Sydney on Tuesday in their pitch to lure voters in the urban heartland.

Last week, the Coalition government said it would take up a NSW Productivity Commission recommendation to reintroduce a one-year postgraduate diploma to get more graduates in the teaching profession.

Meanwhile, Labor says it would solve the crisis by slashing workloads with an expanded recruitment campaign to hire 10,000 permanent teachers statewide.