The survey paints a dire picture of severe teacher shortages, unsustainable workloads, and concerning declines in student wellbeing and engagement. Almost nine in 10 principals reported teacher shortages in the last year, with more than half saying they had unfilled teaching positions at the time of the survey.
Just 12 per cent of principals — and a shocking five per cent of teachers — said their schools were well-resourced, and 90 per cent of teachers reported a decline or significant decline in teacher wellbeing and morale over the past 18 months. Only 16 per cent of NSW teachers are now committed to staying until retirement; the lowest level of any state.
These alarming results come after the Review to Inform a Better and Fairer Education System, ordered by education ministers, reported in December last year that the underfunding of public schools is “undermining other reform efforts with real implications for student educational and wellbeing outcomes, teacher attraction and retention”. The Review’s expert panellists also warned the need for full funding was “urgent and critical” and a precondition for improving results, equity and student wellbeing.
It’s hard to imagine a more compelling case for the NSW and federal governments reaching an agreement this year to fund public schools at 100 per cent of the Schooling Resource Standard (SRS) by 2029.
This is the minimum level required to meet the needs of students, agreed by governments a decade ago. While private schools are funded at or above that measure, not a single NSW public school is funded to it. Underfunding of public schools creates greater workloads for teachers and denies schools the additional staffing entitlements our system needs to thrive.
NSW public schools are staring down the barrel of a $1.9 billion shortfall in funding this year alone. That’s a deficit equivalent to employing an additional 10,000 teachers.
And all the while, private schools are receiving substantial public funding to splurge on unnecessary vanity projects and gold-plated facilities while under-served public schools continue to feel the squeeze.
Full funding for public schools is the only way to ensure every child gets every opportunity to succeed. It means more support for children, more time for teachers and better results for everyone. In short, it’s the single best investment we can make for the future of our nation.
That’s why Federation is campaigning for the Federal Labor Government to step up and provide much-needed additional funding to close the gap. The NSW Labor Government is doing its part by lifting salaries to tackle the teacher shortages, but the Prime Minister and federal Labor need to recognise the overwhelming moral and economic case for backing teachers and students.
We have celebrated some important wins: an historic wage rise, an improved statewide schools Staffing Agreement, permanent employment of more than 10,000 temporary teachers and the “right to disconnect”. And the NSW Government and its Department of Education have recently committed to engage with the union to review and expand staffing entitlements. This will mark the beginning of the end for a major component of the failed Local Schools, Local Decisions policy and reinforce the importance of a strengthened statewide permanent staffing system supporting all schools.
These are important victories, and they have been made possible thanks to the hard work and relentless campaigning of Federation and its members.
But there is more work to do.
We need to ensure wages keep pace with other jurisdictions and similar professions. Schools must be freed from the burden of pointless administration and compliance requirements. Workloads must be reduced so educators have time to do the important groundwork that supports their teaching in the classroom. And schools need more permanent qualified teachers to do the vital work of educating future generations.
Most importantly, we need to secure the funding necessary to rebuild and renew the public education system and the teaching profession in Australia. This is the only way to ensure that today’s children and future generations receive the world-class education they deserve.