West Australian teachers are resigning at much higher rates than they were five years ago, new data shows, with mounting workloads a significant contributor to the growing attrition.
The latest Department of Education annual report shows 1263 teachers resigned from public schools last year compared to just 604 in 2019 – an increase of nearly 110 per cent.
The number of resignations was also double the number of retirements.
Breanna May was among those who resigned over that five-year period. She worked as a high school teacher and took her first job in 2015 after graduating from university.
Within five years, she had quit.
“Like many, I was obsessed with being a teacher when I started – I thought it was the best job in the world,” May said.
“But the workload was too much. The teaching portion of the job was like a reward you received if you got the rest of your work done.
“The mental, physical and emotional drain was the worst I have experienced. I was a lawyer beforehand, I’ve done my share of difficult work, and teaching takes the cake.”
May has used her experiences to help others and now works as a mindset coach, having founded The Mind School.
She said a big portion of her job was working with teachers, often to coach them through leaving their profession and to find another job.
Sometimes those teachers wanted a job linked with teaching, including coaching or lecturing, May said. But other times they were after a different career path entirely – from working in the mines to becoming a barista in a cafe.
Messages sent to May show the desperation of WA teachers.Credit: Cameron Myles
May said she received text messages every week from teachers planning their resignation, or who were close to it, and who confided in her about suicidal thoughts and bad encounters with parents.
“We don’t have a teacher shortage. There are plenty of qualified teachers out there, they are just choosing not to work in schools,” she said.
“One teacher I helped walked out in the middle of the day, the middle of term, and just never went back.”
May said if the workload decreased, the mental health crisis facing teachers would vastly improve.
“Teachers tell me they are frustrated the focus is on their mental health but not the cause. They tell me that if the workload dropped, there would be no crisis,” she said
Department of Education workforce acting executive director Sue Egerton said a total of $15.5 million was committed to financial incentives to attract and retail teachers this year, following more than $12 million in 2023.
“The increase in teacher resignation is due in part to strong labour market growth in WA combined with the impact of COVID-19. The impact of the pandemic has prompted many teachers to reconsider their career choice,” she said.
“A range of measures are in place to cut red tape and address concerns about burnout.”
Egerton said the measures included 100 school psychologists, 300 additional education assistants, complex behaviour coordinators, an AI education pilot program and a new school management system to significantly reduce workload.
She said a new workload taskforce was also reporting to the education minister to address any concerns and support staff with workload management.
The Mind School also runs seminars for teachers who remain in the industry but are keen to learn more about the importance of focusing on emotional quotient, not just intelligence.
While it is not taught in university, May said teachers who understood the importance of both would be able to reduce some challenges they faced in classrooms, including bullying, which would also reduce workload.
If you or someone you know is in need of support contact Lifeline on 13 11 14 or Beyond Blue.
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