Anglican educators want more Christians to become teachers and have appointed a specialist recruiter to motivate them.

Sydney’s Anglican Education Commission has appointed a Director of Recruitment, Ian Keast, to recruit young people as well as retired teachers and those working in other industries into teaching at State and private schools.

The position is funded by Anglican schools and based at Anglican Youthworks.

Mr Keast, who has spent the last 13 years as Head of English at Barker College, aims to raise the profile of teaching as a profession and as a gospel ministry opportunity.

He will recruit Christians into teaching through networking with schools, chaplains and Christian groups. He will also work with youth groups and churches, and with ministry training organisations such as Club Five.

Mr Keast said the lack of material benefits and society’s low view of teaching has led Christians into the more supportive environment of Christian schools, or discouraged them away from the profession entirely.

While he said teaching has not been an attractive option for many young people, Christians included, there is the challenge for Christians to teach in our public system because “these schools reflect the difficulties and tensions of the ‘world’ and the gospel is vital in this context”.

“Yes, we need doctors, lawyers, social workers and engineers who will serve Christ faithfully in these professions,” Mr Keast said.  “Teaching, though, offers some unique and strategic opportunities to help fashion the persons of this and subsequent generations. It offers a direct role with young people and their lives.”

And one of his first priorities will be targeting men. “Male teachers are under-represented. The importance of male role models is important here generally and Christian role models in particular. This will be one of the first areas that I’ll be considering.”

Mr Keast sees no tension between his aims and those of organisations like Club Five, which also encourage Christians to enter into full-time ministry. “Our aims are the same: to bring people under the Lordship of Christ,” he said. “He wants his people to serve him, whether that be through teaching, a position in the local church, or wherever.”