Many teachers leave the profession during the first five years

SCHOOLS are being accused failing students and some parents don’t trust teachers to do their jobs but the demands of the job result in many quitting in the first five years.

Teachers are often blamed first when test results slip.

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RECENTLY an assistant principal with 20 years of experience who worked at a large primary school said she was glad she wasn’t starting out in the profession now.

When asked why, the accomplished teacher and leader said the administrative demands and regulatory burden on teachers today might just be too much.

Those comments may shed some light on why many teachers leave the profession within the first five years. It is an issue that many education systems around the world, including ours, are attempting to deal with because of its impact on student achievement.

Many teachers are fed up with the regulatory burden they carry.

The typical response when student achievement slips either on NAPLAN, or other international tests, is to blame the profession and impose narrower assessment and reporting regimes, linking funding to student achievement, “raising the bar” for what is expected of trainee teachers or getting “back to basics”.

We know from experience that these strategies don’t work and, instead, only serve to cement the perception that schools are failing and teachers can’t be trusted.

With the exception of countries like Finland, Sweden and Singapore, there is not enough community trust in the work teachers do.

When NAPLAN results slip teachers are blamed first.

When teaching is effective, it is as intellectually challenging as being a surgeon or a pilot.

In addition to bringing their knowledge and passion to classrooms, teachers also bring patience, understanding and empathy. This is no mean feat at the best of times – just ask parents.

We put this at risk when we make the focus of teacher work implementing standardised testing or compliance measures.

The demands on teachers are great and the days are long. Despite this they continue to show up and work in the best interests of their students.

The demands on teachers are great.

For too long teachers have put up with others exercising control over their work – what to teach, how to teach and when to teach it.

The majority of teachers in Australian classrooms are capable professionals who deserve to do what they signed up to do – teach.

NAPLAN TEST HAS ALWAYS BEEN CONTROVERSIAL