The OECD’s Teaching and Learning International Survey (TALIS) provides a disturbing snapshot of the reality of work for Australian teachers and school leaders compared with international education benchmarks.
The survey of 280,000 teachers and school leaders from 55 countries, including over 6000 Australian teachers and principals, highlights the diverse and complex challenges in our schools.
The survey confirms what teachers have been warning about for years: endemic issues in Australian schools, including teacher shortages that are significantly higher than the OECD average, and widespread staff safety concerns stemming from physical injuries and verbal abuse from students.
Of particular concern in the survey results is the much higher proportion of Australian teachers suffering stress at work and negative mental health compared to other countries.
More than 80% of lower secondary and primary teachers in Australia reported that their job negatively affects their mental health.
64.6% of teachers experience high levels of workplace stress – compared to 43.4% across other OECD countries.
The TALIS survey simply reinforces what IEU members have been saying for decades: Australian teachers are drowning under administrative workloads and excessive red tape.
We need a major investment by school employers to reduce workloads for teachers and school leaders and to ensure safer, more supportive school environments.
Employers must take far greater accountability for teacher and staff wellbeing by guaranteeing fair pay, financial stability, sustainable workloads, and genuine professional autonomy.
There is something broken with a system where teachers are spending more time on paperwork than actually teaching and supporting their students. Our dedicated teachers entered the profession to inspire and educate young people, not to be buried under mountains of bureaucracy.