SCHOOLS, especially in Victoria and New South Wales, are already reportedly under great strain from a lack of workforce coverage.
This crisis has been brewing for a long time.
Dr Fiona Longmuir of Monash University said the situation was worrying.
“There are some hard lessons that must be learnt. Our research shows teachers are burning out,” she said.
Dr Fiona is a lecturer in educational leadership in the faculty of education at Monash University.
Dr Fiona’s current research investigates interactions of school and system leadership with student engagement and agency.
“With schools facing the brunt of the teacher shortage crisis as students return for 2023 – there are some hard lessons that must be learnt about how we support teachers in our country,” she said.
“Our research with over 5000 Australian teachers indicated that teachers are burning out from long hours and emotional drain, combined with feeling undervalued and disrespected, and with the current wide-spread staffing shortages, demands on teachers are being stretched even further.
“This means the most likely trajectory is that the crisis will get worse.”
Actions directed at retaining current staff and appealing to those that have recently left must be a focus.
Interventions that reduce workload and work intensity are most likely to have an impact.
“Our research suggests that teachers want less administrative burden, (including reduced data reporting), they want more specialist support for students’ socio-emotional needs, and they want more time to build relationships that support students’ learning and social development,” Dr Fiona said.
There is also a role for families and communities in this challenging time – appreciate and support the teachers at your schools. Positive engagement with students and parents is important to teacher satisfaction and therefore retention in the workforce.
