Better pay, tackling gender bias and increased support could be key to saving teaching
Education is crucial to our society – but it’s a female-driven industry that is undervalued and underpaid. Getting more men to teach might be part of the solution, writes Emily Olle.
Everyone has that one teacher they remember, no matter how long ago your school days were.
They might have been there for you when friends or parents weren’t. They might have ignited a passion for the arts, for maths or for science, or helped you feel confident to pursue your dreams.
It’s one of the most crucial professions to the function of our society – but, as News Corp data has revealed, we are facing national exodus of educators across the country over working conditions, administrative duties, data collection requirements, poor managerial support and pay.
The National Teacher Workforce Action Plan, signed off by the federal government last year, promises scholarships for university students and additional funding for places.
But the problem runs deeper than pushing kids into university degrees. At the forefront of this industry in crisis is the nagging issue of gender.
It’s time to recognise that many of the issues facing teachers, particularly when it comes to recognition and salary, are rooted in gender bias and pay disparity for women-led industries.
The Australian Bureau of Statistics’ Schools survey in 2019 revealed more than 71 per cent of primary and secondary school teachers in Australia identify as female – meaning half the population is largely ignoring the profession as an option.
As with many caring-based professions, teaching is undervalued and under-promoted, with little financial incentive for young people considering their careers.
Take competition for maths graduates, for example – with potential maths teachers being lured into data science jobs with lucrative starting salaries of between $100,000-$200,000.
When graduate teachers are looking at $74-75,000, it’s hard to blame bright young minds for shying away.
With this decade’s push to get more women into STEM roles, perhaps it’s time for similar incentives to re-centre the gender balance in teaching.
This isn’t to reduce the complexity of the challenges faced by educators into a gender debate.
Teachers are also working more hours outside the classroom for administration and data collection, while the Covid pandemic and an increase in home schooling expectations have put additional pressure on out-of-school preparation.
Classes are getting larger, children’s needs are getting more complex, pressure from parents is heightening and creativity is being sapped.
Educators feel that support from school leaders and government has waned, despite the profession being more difficult than ever.
There’s no clear solution. But recognising and tackling gender bias, increasing salaries, incentivising university positions and letting teachers go back to putting their efforts into the classroom – not data collection – can’t hurt.
Teachers have the capacity to shape lives. It’s time we stopped the profession from ruining theirs.
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