Teachers are pleading for help on R U OK Day

A heartbreaking text message from an Australian teacher has exposed a huge problem in the profession.

A heartbreaking text message from a teacher has exposed a huge problem in the profession in Australia — as half of all teachers leave within the first five years of their career.

Breanna May was a teacher in Western Australia for five years, having previously worked in law, but eventually decided to ditch the profession because of the workload.

“This seems so ironic but I missed teaching. I missed being able to just teach and spend time with my students, doing what really matters,” she told news.com.au, adding the stress impacted her personality.

Instead, she built her own education company — The Mind School — that focuses on emotional intelligence, mindset and upskilling for educators.

Breanna May worked as a teacher for five years. Picture: Supplied

But her new business has led to her seeing teachers and university students hoping to enter the industry, and not many of them are ringing endorsements.

“I’m devastated. I can’t even leave work today, but I don't think I’ll come in tomorrow. I feel so broke,” one text reads.

Another said that their PRAC teacher refused to go into class so they had to spend 30 minutes convincing her not to quit.

“It was so exhausting. Now she is going to stay, but change majors as English is ‘just too hard and isn’t worth the workload’,” the university student said.

One said that PRAC students were walking out, more teachers were leaving the professions but others like themself were “hanging on by the skin of our teeth”.

“We stay for the students, for those kids we love, but the truth is we are dying,” the teacher of 14 years said.

Breanna said she had a mature age PRAC student who had worked in high pressure environments as one of her clients. When the university assessor came, he said he was stressed and not sleeping.

She now helps others in the profession. Picture: Supplied

“Welcome to teaching,” was the response.

The data backs it up. Professor Robyn Brandenburg, from Federation University, told the ABC the common narrative was that 50 per cent of teachers leave within the first five years.

Figures from the Albanese Government showed that there will be a deficit of 4100 high school teachers between 2021 and 2025, with only 13 per cent of public school teachers said their workload is manageable while one in five leave within three years of starting the profession.

Breanna said the pressure to fill these spaces has meant that there are no specialist teachers, meaning education is devalued.

“I think the workload for teachers has been increasing quite a lot over the last few years,” Breanna said.

Teachers are "dying". Picture: Supplied

Statistics show we are more than 4100 teachers short in Australia. Picture: Supplied

“But over Covid, there was really a massive workload added because so many teachers had to — overnight — change programs, go online, learn how to use online tools. Many of those things didn’t change back.

“I haven’t spoken to one single teacher in the last five years who would say that the system is working and that they are thriving.”

She said teachers are constantly being criticised by parents, spending hours of their own time putting together lesson plans, and putting in their own money.

But, at the end of the day, the workload is the issue. She said it’s resulted in the actual teaching being such a small part of the job.

“R U OK Day is approaching, it’s so important that these teachers do so much extra on R U OK Day [for their students],” she said.

“And it’s beautiful, and I know a lot of teachers love it and really enjoy that extra day with their students, but it’s also it adds more pressure and workload to the teachers.

“I think it’s such a beautiful reminder that we also need to check in on the educators that are caring for the kids, especially in this real interesting crisis and shortage.”

Originally published as Teachers are pleading for help on R U OK Day