The OECD Teaching and Learning International Survey (TALIS) reveals that Australia ranks among the worst-performing countries for teacher shortages, particularly in public schools, posing serious risks to equity and quality education delivery.
The findings are a stark warning about the impact of teacher shortages across the country. This report confirms what teachers have been saying for years, that Australia’s teacher shortage is real, it’s getting worse, and it’s impacting on teaching and learning.
Australia is now among the top three OECD countries for teacher shortages in public schools. That is unacceptable for a wealthy, developed nation.
We urgently need national action to fix the teacher pipeline, from recruitment into initial teacher education to retaining experienced teachers in classrooms.The TALIS data also shows that shortages are most severe in schools with high levels of student disadvantage and special education needs, which are the very schools that rely most on stable, experienced teaching staff.
When students with additional needs or from disadvantaged backgrounds are most affected, the result is a deepening equity divide in Australian education.
The data confirms Australian teachers are working an average of 46.5 hours per week, well above the OECD average of 40.8 hours, with almost two-thirds of teachers experiencing high stress and more than 80% say their job negatively impacts their mental health.
Our public schools are under enormous pressure. Teachers are overworked, stressed and feel unsupported. Without urgent government action to fix workloads, pay and conditions, we risk losing even more teachers from the profession.
We need full and fair funding for public schools, a national workforce plan that tackles workload, and real support for teachers’ mental health.
The TALIS report states that: “Teachers are more likely to exhibit effective practices, experience high well-being and job satisfaction, and remain in the profession when they have sufficient support to face the challenges at hand”
Our students deserve well-qualified and supported teachers in every classroom. There are no shortcuts to fixing the teacher workforce crisis. All governments must properly value, respect and support the teaching profession.
