Financial assistance for remote and rural teachers

Attractive allowances are paid to teach in rural schools in the Country Teaching Program (CTP) and in all remote schools (the Remote Teaching Service (RTS)). You will be paid between $5,000 to $12,500 a year when you teach in a CTP school and up to $19,000 a year in a remote school. Locality payments are also available in addition to these allowances.

In most cases, where you (or your partner) are not a local resident or do not own a property in the local area you will be allocated Government Regional Officers Housing managed by the Department of Housing.

Housing is not provided in Albany, Bunbury and Mandurah or in areas which are in close commuting distance to these centres. Accommodation is allocated by taking into account the number of houses/units available, the number of employees and dependents to be housed and the maximum utilisation of the accommodation. In some cases single applicants may be required to share accommodation.

Should you be posted to a regional area and require housing simply visit the Department’s housing and transport business unit for further information.

If you are teaching in a CTP school your rent will be heavily subsidised (average rent is AUD$70 - $150 a week), utilities connection paid for and, depending on the location, you may also receive a furniture and white-goods package and an airconditioning subsidy.

If you are teaching in a remote school you will live rent-free, be provided with a furniture and white-goods package and receive generous additional leave and transfer entitlements, which include:

• a guaranteed transfer to a metropolitan or country district of your choice (subject to availability) once you complete three years continuous service
• 10 weeks leave after you complete three years (six semesters) continuous service
• 22 weeks leave after you complete four years (eight semesters) continuous service
• an additional calendar week of leave for each semester completed after four years (eight semesters) continuous service.

Once you have been appointed to a country or remote school you may be eligible to have costs met to get to that location. Costs are usually met if you need to travel from:

• Perth to the school to which you have been appointed
• one country or remote school to another to which you have been appointed
• your school back to a school in Perth to which you have been appointed.

The costs for travel for you, your partner and dependents are met as well as costs for the removal of your furniture, effects and car.

You also may be entitled to have reasonable costs (as per award conditions) met for accommodation and meals en route, depreciation on moving furniture and effects, and reconnection costs for telephone and electricity.

Find out more about the Department's housing, transport and allowances.

Case studies

The following examples are for illustrative purposes only; payments will vary according to your particular circumstances.

Meet Janet

Janet is single and a recent graduate. She started teaching in February 2009 at East Kalgoorlie Primary School in the Goldfields education district. This school is part of the Country Teaching Program (CTP).

Track Janet’s progress

	Base salary	Graduate allowance	CTP allowance	Locality allowance	TOTAL
1st year 2009 1.6	$51,331	$1,600	$12,500	$432	$65,863
2nd year 2010 2.2*	$59,199	$1,600	$12,500	$432	$73,731
3rd year 2011 2.3*	$67,380	--	$12,500	$432	$80,312
4th year 2011 2.4*	$70,021	--	$12,500	$432	$82,953

* a new increment system comes into place from February 2010.

In addition to the totals above Janet will also receive:

• a relocation allowance from Perth to Kalgoorlie and back again at the end of her contract
• 70 percent subsidised rent on a three bedroom house; Janet can decide to occupy the house on her own but she may have decided to share, which would reduce her rent
• an air-conditioning subsidy
• five additional days of sick leave for each year she completes in the CTP
• ongoing professional support and in-class coaching
• permanent status on appointment as soon as she starts at the school, subject to the completion of two years continuous satisfactory service in the CTP
• bonus transfer points after two years at the school, giving Janet the opportunity to transfer more easily to a school of her choice after her time with the CTP.

Meet Brad

Brad is married with a family and has been teaching for four years. He accepted a teaching position at Jigalong Remote Community School in the Pilbara education district and will be moving from his current school in Albany. His new school is part of the Remote Teaching Service (RTS).

Track Brad’s progress 

	Base salary	RTS allowance	Locality allowance	TOTAL
2009 2.2	$66,580	$19,000	$3,255	$88,835
2010 2.5*	$69,967	$19,000	$3,255	$92,222
2011 2.6*	$75,618	$19,000	$3,255	$97,873
2012 2.7*	$78,582	$19,000	$3,255	$100,837

* a new increment system comes into place from February 2010.

In addition to the totals above Brad will also receive:

• a relocation allowance from Albany to Jigalong via Perth and back again at the end of his contract, for Brad, his family and their belongings (including their boat – though Brad isn’t expecting to do a lot of sailing in Jigalong!)
• two trips to Perth and one to Karratha or Port Hedland a year (the trip back to Perth at the end of the year includes Brad and his family)
• rent free accommodation in a four bedroom house
• four wheel driving instruction
• permanent status on appointment as soon as he starts at the school, subject to the completion of two years continuous satisfactory service in a RTS location
• bonus transfer points after two years at the school, giving Brad the opportunity to transfer more easily to a school of his choice (subject to availability) after his time with the RTS
• additional sick leave for every year of continued service
• after three years (six semesters) of continuous service in a remote community school, he will receive 10 additional weeks of leave
• after four years (eight semesters) of continuous service in a remote community school, he will receive 22 additional weeks of leave
• after each subsequent semester (after four years) he will receive one extra week of leave (as well as his standard vacation leave and 22 weeks of additional RTS leave).