The Western Australian Teaching Board is working hard to persuade British teachers to apply for Australian visas to fill the void that currently exists in schools throughout the state, especially in more rural areas.

Representatives of the WA Education Department will be holding expos in London, Leeds, Birmingham, Manchester, Belfast and Edinburgh throughout 2007 in a bid to attract teachers of various levels of experience to the state. Teachers will have the incentive of gaining the support of the Education Department towards gaining Australian citizenship, should they complete a two year teaching placement in a Western Australian school.

Education minister Mark McGowan said: “We are doing everything possible to increase the state's teaching workforce. Teachers from the UK are highly qualified, from a similar cultural background and very interested in visiting and working in country Western Australia, which is why we are keen to continue with this recruitment method. Western Australia has a relaxed lifestyle, good climate and a booming economy, with jobs not only for teachers, but for partners or spouses and for other family members.”