Teachers’ union reveals wishlist for ‘urgent’ school reforms in response to damning survey findings
Teachers say they’re overworked and struggling to cope – now a major national survey has revealed what they say must be fixed as a $20bn public schools support package rolls out.
Overworked and burnt-out teachers educating the nation’s most disadvantaged students have revealed their wishlist for “urgent” school reform under the $20bn Better and Fairer Schools Agreement.
On Wednesday, the Australian Education Union released its Investing in Australia’s Future (2025) report, using survey data from across the sector to determine the best use of the $20bn cash pool, as the federal government increases its funding contribution to state-run education systems over the next decade.
AEU federal president Correna Haythorpe said the data reveals Australia’s teaching workforce is in “crisis” as it battles increasingly complex student needs and long delays on promised funds.
“The teaching profession remains in crisis,” Ms Haythorpe said.
“Teachers are overworked, burnt out, and struggling to meet the growing complexity of student needs with inadequate resources.
“Thanks to AEU members ongoing campaigning, governments have committed more than $20 billion to public schools nationally.
“This report makes clear that to lift outcomes for all students, we must use that investment to reduce class sizes, increase one-on-one support for students, and cut the unsustainable workloads driving teacher shortages.”
The AEU offered a number of recommendations to address these issues and fund “what works”.
Key to their recommendations are smaller class sizes; investment in more support staff; developing 150 “full-service” schools in disadvantaged communities which host health and family services; two extra hours a week for planning and collaboration; a permanent Commonwealth capital fund; and more counsellors and social workers in schools.
The AEU made these recommendations in response to its State of Our Schools survey, which gathered data from 12,740 principals, teachers and support staff nationally.
Alarmingly, 95 per cent of principals and teachers said the complexity of students’ needs had increased in the past three years.
It also found the majority of teachers (62 per cent) work more than 50 hours a week, with one in eight teachers clocking over 65 hours a week.
Across the states, principals said they were concerned about the teacher shortage.
The shortage is felt most acutely in Queensland where 90 per cent of principals said they had a shortage, compared to 73 per cent in Victoria and 75 per cent in South Australia.
Principals were also concerned about the lack of wellbeing support for students, with only one in four school leaders in Victoria and Queensland describing their wellbeing support as adequate.
Teachers and principals overwhelmingly said targeted funding in this area would improve student and teacher outcomes.
“Proper allocation of public school funding is the key to closing the achievement gap and giving every child the opportunity to thrive,” Ms Haythorpe said.
“This is a historic opportunity to create a stronger, fairer and better education system for every child, in every public school, in every community.”
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Originally published as Teachers’ union reveals wishlist for ‘urgent’ school reforms in response to damning survey findings
