Even when they get a teacher, rural and outer suburban children are more likely to miss out on one who topped their own class.
That's the suggestion from two data analyses laying bare the troubles with teacher shortages in the nation's most populous state.
Research released on Monday by the e61 Institute highlighted significant disparities in access to high-aptitude teachers in NSW high schools, finding they were less likely to work in disadvantaged areas.
"Higher-aptitude teachers tend to work in more affluent areas with higher students' performance, while lower-aptitude teachers tend to work in more disadvantaged areas with lower students' performance," institute research manager Silvia Griselda said.
"This is crucial because a more even distribution of high-aptitude teachers could help reduce educational and social inequities by providing more equal access to learning opportunities."
Previous research has shown rural and remote students have reduced access to education services compared to metropolitan students, leading to worse NAPLAN results and lower rates of school attendance and university enrolment.
Aptitude in the e61 study was determined by teachers' ATAR scores.
While high-ATAR workers of all stripes tended to work in affluent areas, Dr Griselda said the trend was more acute among teachers.
She suggested it could be "home bias" - wanting to live in similar communities to where they grew up - or a perception that disadvantaged schools involved far higher demands for little or no extra pay.
Meanwhile, data shows unfilled teaching positions at some rural schools have reached one for every 40 students.
Dubbo College's Delroy Campus had nine vacancies for its 525 pupils in term four of 2023, along with Melville High (439 students) and Gilgandra High (188).
Murrumbidgee Regional High meanwhile was 18 educators short, including four English teachers for its 1039 students,
Unfilled full-time teaching positions almost topped 2000 across the state with the issue also acute in Sydney's southwest, Blacktown and Parramatta.
After years of capped wage rises, teacher pay was overhauled in 2023 by lifting graduate pay, increasing the frequency of grade increases and raising the wage ceiling.
Another initiative, the Grow Your Own program, encourages schools to help recruit admin workers or the local community to train to become future teachers in NSW public schools.
Fixing the teacher shortage was a major priority of the Minns Labor government, Deputy Premier Prue Car said.
"The damage done by the former government won't be undone overnight, but we are making headway with instrumental initiatives and reforms - including the profession's largest wage increase in 30 years, converting 16,000 teachers and support staff on temporary contracts to permanent, and slashing the administrative burden," she said.
