A Federation University education expert has warned of a catastrophe facing schools within five years if teachers continue to leave the profession at current rates.
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Abuse, workload, overcrowded curriculum, student behaviour, lack of support and respect, pay, and poor career progression are just some of the culmination of factors contributing to teachers deciding to leave.
Of particular concern is the number of mid-career to experienced teachers, and school leaders, walking away from the sector.
Professor Robyn Brandenburg from the university's Institute of of Education, Arts and Community and colleagues from three other universities conducted Australian-first research to ask former teachers why they left the profession and what they are doing now.
HAVE YOUR SAY AT THE BOTTOM OF THIS STORY
"What we are losing is experienced, talented, expert teachers in the middle chunk of their career, and school leaders. We are not only losing today's leadership, but tomorrow's future leaders ... and when you think about that's catastrophic for the future," Professor Brandenburg said.
More than 250 teachers who have left the profession in the past seven years completed the survey I left Teaching: Why and where I have gone, with a third having left in 2022, and almost two-thirds in the three years from 2019 to 2022.
Interestingly though, none specified the COVID pandemic and the challenge of switching from face-to-face learning to remote learning with just hours notice as their reason for leaving.
"It's a broken system - a system that ultimately was destroying them," Professor Brandenburg said.
Every day I felt sick on my way to work. I could never get through my mountain of work, I could never get on top of classroom behaviour, and I could never get to a place where I was able to deal with the unreasonable demands of the school
- Former teacher
While more than half of respondents were classroom teachers, 40 per cent were in positions of leadership.
Seventy per cent were teaching in secondary schools when they left, and 30 per cent in primary schools according to the research published in EduResearch Matters.
"It's a crisis now. It will be catastrophic in five years," she said.
The federal government estimates a shortfall of more than 4000 secondary school teachers by 2025.
Professor Brandenburg said none of the teachers had made rash decisions to leave, but all had contemplated the move over months or years as multifactorial pressures continued to build.
She said comments left by the teachers were "gut-wrenching" to read and highlighted the strain and frustration felt.
"As a teacher you have never done enough," one respondent wrote. "You work and work and work, creating, thinking, planning to get the best for each student and it's still never enough. You still can't help so many students, you never satisfy the administration load and so much pressure by parents. When you are a high achieving person, teaching sets you up for failure because you are never enough for everybody."
Another wrote about their anxiety and sadness.
"Every day I felt sick on my way to work. I could never get through my mountain of work, I could never get on top of classroom behaviour, and I could never get to a place where I was able to deal with the unreasonable demands of the school."
About 90 per cent of those who left teaching continued to work, with around 40 per cent of them moving into education-related jobs such as devising education resources, developing education policy, consulting and managing education programs in institutions such as museums and art galleries.
About one in five transitioned to work in the higher education sector and about seven per cent returned to casual teaching, and remaining ex-teachers found their way in to work helping people such as social work, sports coaching, counselling or the well-being industry.
About 10 per cent found a completely different careers such as running a cattery, joining the military, or truck driving.
Professor Brandenburg said there was a potential window to get about half of former teachers back in the classroom.
"While a third said they would definitely not return, almost half said probably not/probably yes so to me there's possibly a window there to get them back, but it has to be a transition that's smoother than it is at the moment."
Difficulty recruiting new staff has been a growing concern for principals, with most reporting far fewer applicants for advertised jobs, and many jobs not receiving a single applicant.
I was in complete burn out. There were too many administrative changes and expectations that led to unattainable work pressures. My mental health and family life were suffering, and I needed to make a choice. I love teaching and loved working with the students. I miss it but the expectations placed upon teachers is unrealistic and unsustainable without long term damage.
- Former teacher
In the Ballarat region alone at present there are 16 classroom teacher vacancies across government, private and Catholic schools currently advertised, four principal or head of school positions and numerous other integration aide and educational support roles.
Professor Brandenburg said things were unlikely to change until community attitudes to teachers changed and sustainable workloads were secured.
The ex-teachers spoke of dealing with challenging leaders, parents and students and "a teaching profession that is misunderstood, disrespected and unappreciated".
Positive school leadership, personal and professional connection, career progression and pay rates, and "reasonable, respectful, achievable and sustainable" expectations of teachers were needed to halt stem the flow and avert a catastrophe within the profession in the next five years.
"There is no one fix ... this has been a slow burn for 10 years," Professor Brandenburg said.
"Teachers are leaving in that middle chunk (of their career) which is where they max out with their salary and if they want to progress they often have to become a principal or take on a deputy role, which takes them out of the classroom. A lot want to remain in the classroom and they are talented, they've got all this expertise and they make it look seamless which is why people from the outside say it looks so easy.
"The whole system, from everywhere, needs to readjust expectations."
She also urged parents to take the time to thank their children's teachers for what they do for them, often above and beyond their role,
"We need to change the narrative around teaching because if we continue with this negative story ... then I think we are losing the profession of teaching and those who might come into it thinking ... I would be proud to be a teacher.
"We need to promote the value that education is a privilege and the teachers providing that education are sharing that privilege with your children."
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