Husband and wife Jim and Fiona McGoverin have come all the way from Ireland to teach at St Mary MacKillop College in Swan Hill.
The McGoverins have left their life in Dublin and have travelled to the humble country town of Swan Hill with their three children just before the start of term one.
The two have more than 20 years experience teaching in their home country.
Ms McGoverin teaches mathematics and commerce, while Mr McGoverin teaches English and religious education.
“We had contemplated travelling and living abroad for a while,” Ms McGoverin said. “We looked at different options, and thought Australia would be a positive one.
“The Australian lifestyle appealed to us more than anywhere else. We enjoy the outdoors and are quite sporty, so Swan Hill was perfect.”
The couple were recruited by Diocese of Ballarat Catholic Education Limited, also known as DOBCEL, through their international employment program.
“I met with a delegation from DOBCEL last April and they were very enthusiastic about people coming out to Australia,” Mr McGoverin said.
DOBCEL, formed in 2017, has been overseeing employment in parish schools they govern throughout Victoria.
Principal of Mackillop College Michelle Haeusler said that the recruitment program was to help fill the demand for teachers at the school, although the process can be lengthy.
“We have tried to get a number of people but it can be very difficult, especially if they don’t have English as their first language,” Ms Haeusler said.
“But we’ve been really lucky to get Fiona and Jimmy at St Mary MacKillop College.”
Ms and Mr McGoverin have expressed their gratitude to DOBCEL for helping with the process of moving them and three children to Australia from Ireland.
“We had a lot of reassurance coming here,” Ms McGoverin said.
Mr McGoverin added: “We felt that we were going to be looked after here”.
The company provides financial incentives and VISA sponsorships for international teachers and especially if the school is in a regional area.
“Bringing a whole family over and making sure that they’ve got accommodation is really hard,” Ms Haeusler said.
“But we would love more international teachers, or teachers within Australia because all schools in this area are really struggling at the moment.”
While the demand for teachers only projected to increase according to the Department of Education, Ms Haeusler said that schools in regional areas have been facing shortages for a long time.
“Rural schools have always had difficulty attracting people to rural areas,” she said.
“I think people are a little bit scared from moving so far from a city, but I think they are missing out on opportunities.”
Although they have moved so far from their home, Ms and Mr McGoverin are liking Swan Hill.
Although they are still getting used to the weather in their new home and have also encountered some culture shocks.
While only a few days into their time at St Mary Mackillop College, Mr McGoverin has already heard enthusiastic discussions about the footy among his students.
“I had a couple of classes today and we got to talking about Australian Rules Football and the enthusiasm for the teams and excitement for the sport is certainly strong,” Mr McGoverin said.
The couple hopes to make most of their time here and are looking forward to getting to know their students at St Mary MacKillop College.
“It comes with the whole parcel of being a teacher,” Mr McGoverin said.
“Your relationships with your students and colleagues are really important.”
