Queensland's Auditor General has warned schools across the state were being forced to reduce the number of subjects they could offer due to a lack of specialist secondary mathematics, science and industrial design and technology teachers.
In a report, tabled in Queensland Parliament, the Auditor General said the shortage was also leading to some teachers teaching subjects outside their field of expertise.
"The impact of the imbalance in the supply of specialist subject teachers is compounded by the way that teachers are allocated to schools, which is in turn producing unsustainable outcomes,'' said the report.
"It leads to too much reliance on a core of experienced and qualified teachers to provide informal mentoring and retraining of teachers who have to teach subjects outside their field of expertise."
The report recommended the Queensland Department of Education, Training and Employment improve "the quality of the information on teacher subject capability and competence available to staffing officers and principals".
It also recommended the department provide "teachers who are teaching subjects out of their field of expertise with the support and professional development needed to develop the content knowledge and pedagogical skills relevant to the subject being taught by June 2014".