Perspectives on graduate teacher ‘readiness’ from principals of ‘hard-to-staff’ Australian schools

Against a background of teacher shortages, Australian policy prioritises ‘classroom readiness’ as a quality indicator. This paper presents an alternative view from principals of nine (9) schools defined as ‘hard to staff’. Evoking a Discourse that we named Teaching as a professional calling , these principals defined graduate teacher readiness in terms of a moral purpose, enacted in their specific school contexts through relational care practices. Findings suggest the importance of school contexts and principals' perspectives in shaping what constitutes ‘readiness’. They also point to the value of embedding situated professional ethics in teacher education to prepare graduates for diverse contexts. • Perspectives about graduate teacher readiness from principals of ‘hard-to-staff’ schools need more attention given global teacher shortages. • School context is a mediating factor in graduate teacher ‘readiness’ that needs greater consideration in education policy. • Ethics, including critical thinking and ethical reasoning, should be embedded in teacher education to build graduates’ readiness.