AEU data reveals two thirds of early career teachers are already considering quitting the profession

A shocking number of early career teachers already have one foot out the door with a veteran educator of 60 years lamenting the loss of the lifetime teacher.

Two thirds of early career teachers are already considering leaving the profession as they battle challenging students and excessive workloads, exclusive new data reveals.

The idea of teaching as a lifetime career is disappearing rapidly, leading a veteran teacher of over 60 years to suggest educators are no longer passionate about teaching.

The Australian Education Union (AEU) survey of 800 early career teacher revealed just 18 per cent intend to teach until they retire, while one in four are certain they will leave early and 42 per cent say they may.

Top reasons for the early exit include excessive workloads (86 per cent), student behaviour (80 per cent) and student violence (64 per cent).

Retired educator Margaret Love worries the data suggests educators are no longer passionate about teaching. Picture: Supplied

Three in four teachers said their teacher training left them unequipped to deal with difficult behaviour and 68 per cent said they were not equipped how to teach students from a language background other than English. 

New educators said they work 47.2-hour weeks on average, with 29 per cent clock more than 50 hours.

AEU president Correna Haythorpe said these issues needed to be addressed to keep new teachers teaching.

“These early career teachers are the future of our profession, yet too many are already burning out,” she said.

Ms Haythorpe accused government of leaving teachers to ‘sink or swim’. Picture: Chris Kidd

“If we are serious about addressing the teacher shortage crisis, governments must invest in proper induction, mentoring and secure jobs for new educators, not just leave them to simply sink or swim.”

Veteran teacher Margaret Love, 82, began teaching at Dana Street Primary School in Ballarat in 1963.

She finished her career 60 years later at Bacchus Marsh Primary in 2023.

“It really saddens me people don’t see it as a lifetime career anymore,” Mrs Love said.

“To be a teacher you have to be absolutely passionate about it — teaching is more than a job.

“Yes it can be difficult, but it’s so rewarding.”

Mrs Love recognised times had changed with student behaviour, but also said workload pressures were a problem when she started.

“Remember we didn’t have printers and photocopiers — we did it all by hand.

“You were also in class all day — there were no lessons off.”

Kritz Sciessere used her experience as a teacher to shape her wellbeing programs with the Big Sister Experience. Picture: Supplied

Big Sister Experience co-founder Kritz Sciessere experienced the pressures of being a new teacher.

“A lot of early career teachers come into the profession with so much passion,” she said.

“But the reality knocks it out of us.

“I felt like we learned the theory to teach (at university), but not the practice and the reality.”

It was this experience that led Ms Sciessere to launch the Beyond The Curriculum professional development program for these teachers.

“We combine early educator’s passion with the trauma-informed knowledge, skills and power to better support them.”

Are you an early career teacher considering quitting, or a veteran teacher not sure why people are leaving? Email us at [e-mail]

Originally published as AEU data reveals two thirds of early career teachers are already considering quitting the profession