‘Only going to get worse’: Principal on Qld’s teacher crisis

A veteran Queensland principal says he understands why teachers are leaving the profession, despite it being rewarding, saying the stress has him considering an early retirement as well.

A veteran Queensland principal has opened up on the teacher shortage crisis which he says has exacerbated tenfold in his regional home of Bundaberg.

Shalom College principal Dan McMahon puts it plainly: “If teachers don’t want to go north of the Pine River, what hope is there for us?”

Mr McMahon started out as a teacher in 1978 and has been a principal for more than 40 years but he says the stress of the past three years has left him considering an early retirement.

His comments come on the back of federal government data from August last year which showed there were nearly 450 teacher vacancies in Brisbane alone.

Shalom College principal Dan McMahon talks to Year 8 students Alana Ballantyne, Shyla Groga and Sophie Straub. Picture: Paul Beutel

For small towns like Bundaberg and further still, regional and remote parts of the state, he said the teacher talent pool had simply run dry.

“One of the biggest pressure points is, if someone wants to take leave for whatever reason, it’s getting very hard to replace them. You just can’t get anyone,” Mr McMahon said.

Mr McMahon said smaller schools would convert chemistry teachers to temporary physics teachers, English teachers to history teachers and vice versa.

Shalom College principal Dan McMahon at work. Picture: Paul Beutel

Naturally, he said the lack of teachers meant the children suffered.

“There’s very few relief teachers or qualified teachers. If one physics teacher decides to take leave, which of course they’re entitled to, it’s a huge impact on students,” he said.

“It’s a wonderful occupation, but entrenched issues. And it’s only going to get worse.”

From skipping lunchbreaks to cover playground duty, supervision on after school pick-ups and the endless paperwork dealing with disciplinary requirements, Mr McMahon said teachers were managing impossible workloads.

He said a teacher’s work life balance had become unsustainable leading to an industry exodus.

“Teachers are still asked to do the same number of face-to-face hours, but with so many more requirements, and there just aren’t enough hours in the day,” he said.

“We are always judged on ATARs and NAPLAN, but all those things take up time.”

Despite the relentless industry pressures, Mr McMahon said it was an “enormously” rewarding career.

“You work with great kids that you can help make positive decisions,” Mr McMahon said.

“But it really does suck the energy out of you. I’m of an age where retirement beckons, and quite a few days, I think do I need this job anymore?”

Originally published as ‘Only going to get worse’: Principal on Qld’s teacher crisis