A big shift in the Australian school system is leaving thousands of casual and temporary teachers out of work.

Many new teachers start in casual, temporary or ‘relief’ positions, and often prefer the ever-changing, flexible and dynamic environment that such work allows.

But with the COVID-19 pandemic shifting schools to decentralised model of teaching, the casual jobs are drying up.

Different states and territories have offered various plans and packages to help.

In NSW, the Department of Education is offering casual teachers one day of work guaranteed every week for the duration of term two.

Some casual teachers can access a work guarantee of up to two days per week if it can be negotiated by the casual teacher with the principal of the school that is already giving them one day of work.

A casual teacher must have worked a minimum of 10 days in term one to access the One Day Work Guarantee.

Casual teachers in the ACT are receiving a wage guarantee to match their pre-COVID-19 income.

“Casuals will be paid based on time they would otherwise have been required or expected to work. There will be other circumstances where casuals worked regularly, but with irregular hours. In these cases, we will be averaging pay to casuals based on their prior six months' work pattern,” according to an ACT Education Directorate spokesperson.

“We will continue to be flexible in our approach to maintaining the continuity of employment and payment for casuals wherever possible.”

Victoria's Department of Education and Training is offering relief to “eligible employees”, but they must demonstrate a loss of 15 per cent of their income compared to their earnings this time last year.

Individual teachers are left to approach schools where they have worked before and find ways to prove their loss.

Casual teacher must also have worked at least 40 days in a school year in either 2020, 2019 or 2018. New graduates are only required to have worked at least 10 days in term one 2020 to be eligible.

The South Australian branch of the Australian Education Union is working on “paid special leave provisions” based on prior work patterns for casual teachers, but there are no concrete details yet.

Meanwhile, casuals will be paid for booked shifts.

“The department is currently streamlining its approach to relief teachers, to ensure it can quickly support schools and preschools to engage temporary relief teachers, as well as strengthening its retained pools of relief teachers in harder to staff locations,” according to a department spokesperson.

Tasmania’s branch of the AEU also says it is working with the State Government to implement an income plan.

The Northern Territory Government says that if public schools are forced to close, casual teachers (along with all casual staff, including cleaners, maintenance personnel, and support staff) will be paid an amount consistent with their usual income.

The measure is expected to cost the NT $1.5 million every two weeks.

Western Australia is looking to support existing school operations with casual teachers.

“We're expecting that public schools in Western Australia will continue to need casual teachers in term two in the current environment. Principals of public schools manage relief teachers at a local level and have relief teachers they can call on when needed,” says Damien Stewart, Executive Director Workforce for the WA Department of Education.

“To supplement this, the Department is currently advertising for additional relief teachers. The Department is also contacting part-time teachers and teachers who are currently on leave whose plans may have changed, to consider casual relief work.”

The Queensland Teachers Union says negotiations for casual teachers’ support are “yet to be finalised”.