Thousands of Territory students went back to school today, many for the very first time. It's an exciting day in classrooms across the NT, but as the country struggles with a shortage of teachers, Territory schools are looking to fill more than a hundred and thirty vacancies.
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00:00 Shoelaces tied, backpacks on and umbrellas at the ready in the top end.
00:07 More than 5,000 preschool and transition students take their first steps into 13 years of education across the Territory.
00:15 My teacher's Miss Maya and I'm really excited because I get to make flying.
00:20 The sea of new faces can be intimidating, but it helps having older siblings in the crowd.
00:26 It'll be fun getting ready and seeing my little sister in the school uniforms every day. It'll be funny.
00:35 The first day of school can be a learning curve for all, new teachers included.
00:40 I was really, really nervous. I didn't really know what to expect for the first day.
00:44 But now that I've had that experience, I feel a lot more confident coming back.
00:50 Students in the community of Timber Creek will have to wait for their first day of school, with teachers having to be flown into town by helicopter due to flooding.
00:59 And crews today are working to restore power.
01:02 There are more than 200 new teachers and principals in the Territory this year, and more than 100 positions still vacant,
01:09 leaving teachers having to step in at short notice to support their colleagues.
01:14 There are still about 130, but as we saw yesterday, that changes day by day.
01:20 At big schools like this, every one of their staff members are not a classroom teacher all the time.
01:26 But despite the heavy workload, the significance of the first day of school is not lost on teachers and staff.
01:33 It's a big day. Lots of preparation has gone into it, and it's always such a celebration.
01:38 Most of us remember our first day of school, and we're aware that we're making memories today that last a lifetime.
01:44 The start of a long journey for Territory students.
01:47 [BLANK_AUDIO]