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The Guardian - AU
The Guardian - AU
National
Caitlin Cassidy

Australian students shun education degrees as fears grow over ‘unprecedented’ teacher shortage

Woman studying on floor of library
Education was ranked seventh out of 11 major areas of study for Australian university applications. Photograph: Jacobs Stock Photography Ltd/Getty Images

Graduating high school students are continuing to turn away from teaching degrees in huge numbers, early application data shows, as concern grows over “unprecedented” workforce shortages.

The data, provided to Guardian Australia from the Universities Admissions Centre, showed education degrees received just 1,935 first preferences this year, a 19.24% decline compared with 2023 and the lowest rate since at least 2016, when public records became available.

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