Teaching In Australia – A Poor Choice

Approximately 3.3 million pupils attend Australia’s 9,500 schools.

Almost one-third of Australia’s pupils attend private schools - a much higher proportion than in Britain. In England, 7 percent of children attend independent schools, and a lower percentage in Scotland and Wales.

Workload, Pupil Behaviour, Teacher’s Pay and Class Sizes Are Issues For New Teachers

The Australian Education Union asked new teachers in the country’s government schools if they saw themselves continuing in the profession. Half of the 1,300 teachers surveyed said they did not see themselves as teachers in 10 years time.

AEU Federal President Pat Byrne said:

“The four top concerns for new teachers were workload, behaviour management, pay and
class sizes.”

• Workload 58.7%
• Behaviour Management 57.6%
• Pay 54.6%
• Class Sizes 54.3%

“The survey showed that even new teachers who have changed professions to enter
teaching do not see themselves having long term careers in the industry.” (Almost half of the teachers had changed professions to begin teaching.)

“They are worried about job security, with around half reporting they had been unable to
negotiate permanent ongoing employment, and were instead on fixed term contracts.”

“They are also worried about professional support, with over thirty percent stating
professional development was a concern, and over forty percent said they had been asked
to teach outside their area of expertise.”

“Lack of resources means new teachers have less incentive to stay in the profession, and
this will continue to drive teacher shortages.”