New data shows that 70 percent of public school teachers in Australia do not see a long-term future in the profession, with teachers continuing to be dissatisfied with pay and working conditions.
Mid-career educators were the most likely to consider leaving.
The survey by the Australian Education Union (AEU), which gathered responses from 8,000 teachers, principals, and support staff, highlighted several key concerns.
Excessive workloads are a primary concern for educators, who are averaging 12.4 hours of unpaid overtime per week.
Others noted concern with increasing student behaviour issues, including violence.
Over 80 percent of respondents expressed dissatisfaction with their salaries, arguing that their pay does not reflect the complexity of their work or keep pace with comparable professions.
AEU Victoria President Meredith Peace criticised the Victorian Labor government’s 2022 enterprise agreement, which reduced face-to-face teaching hours and offered a modest 2 percent annual pay rise, as insufficient.
“Without significant and urgent action to retain current staff, the teacher workforce shortage crisis impacting Victorian public schools will get worse,” Peace said.
“They report not having the time for doing their key work, including working directly with students, collaborating on teaching and learning, supporting colleagues, and planning curriculum.”
This discontent is part of a broader pattern of protests and strikes across Australia over the past year, with South Australia seeing significant action in September 2023, when thousands of teachers went on strike, impacting over 300 public schools.
Their demands included a nearly 20 percent pay rise over three years, more administrative work time, and better classroom support.
Although the state government responded with a $1.3 billion offer, including a percent annual salary increase, tensions remain. Many teachers feel the offer does not adequately address their workload and compensation concerns.
Fiona Longmuir, a researcher at Monash University said the findings of the union’s report should be a significant concern.
“Principal, teacher, and education support staff salaries should be increased by an amount that provides adequate compensation for the critical and demanding work they undertake,” she said.
Over the next four years, federal support for the state’s 2,200 public schools totals $14.3 billion, compared to $24.2 billion for 970 non-government schools.
The NSW Teacher’s Federation condemned the “take-it-or-leave-it” offer, calling it “unconscionable” and a betrayal of public education.
The federation criticised the use of school funding as a “political football,” highlighting the detrimental impact of chronic underfunding, including class mergers, teacher shortages, and cuts to specialist programs.
Henry Rajendra, President of the NSW Teachers’ Federation, urged the Albanese government to commit to adequate funding.
“The Prime Minister needs to understand that students lagging in reading, writing, and maths, as well as those with disability or learning challenges, miss out when our schools are underfunded.”
