Today’s interim report of the Inquiry into Teacher Shortages in New South Wales reveals the serious and real world impacts of the teacher shortages facing schools.
The overwhelming evidence to the inquiry concluded the teacher shortage had caused declining education outcomes; merged classes; minimal supervision and out-of-field teaching.
The report also found that casualisation of the teaching workforce as well as burdensome administration workload had led to burn out and attrition of the teaching workforce.
“In recent years, results against standardised tests including NAPLAN have stagnated and parents and teachers report the negative effects that merged classes, minimal supervision and out-of-field teaching have on students.” [p.12]
“The lack of available casual staff has meant that out-of-field teaching, merged classes and minimal supervision are an increasing phenomenon within NSW schools.” [p.9]
“The current lack of workforce planning coupled with a failure to recognise the underlying causes of the shortages will only intensify the crisis being felt across NSW schools.” [p.12]
These issues were reflected in a survey of 11,299 teachers issued as part of the inquiry, which found that:
- 92% reported teacher shortages causing merged and cancelled classes;
- 65% reported teacher shortages causing out-of-field teaching; and
- 39% reported teacher shortages leading to unsupervised classes.
The NSW Government’s own figures reveal there has been a 30% reduction in people studying teaching in NSW.
NSW Labor has already begun announcing solutions to help solve the Perrottet Government’s teacher shortages, including:
- creating 10,000 more permanent teaching roles in NSW by shifting temporary positions into permanent roles in a bid to stem teacher attrition rates; and
- conducting a line-by-line audit of all administrative tasks’ teachers are required to do, to deliver a reduction of 5 hours of administrative work per week.
The inquiry, which began in June 2022 has held four hearings, receiving evidence from teachers, parents and experts, and will resume in early 2023.
Chris Minns, NSW Labor Leader, said:
This report only confirms the very real world impacts that teachers, students and parents have known for too long.
“Merged and cancelled classes, declining education outcomes, and students left on their own.
“The rampant casualisation of the teaching workforce and the escalating administration workloads under the Liberals and Nationals is seeing our teachers burnt out and leaving in droves.”
Prue Car, NSW Deputy Labor Leader and Shadow Minister for Education, said:
“Under the Perrottet Government, chronic teacher shortages are leaving students with cancelled or merged classes each and every day.
“This inquiry is shining a light on the Perrottet Government’s failure to ensure every child has a qualified teacher in front of them in the classroom.
“Student outcomes have continued to go backwards over 12 years of Liberal National Government in NSW, and it’s crystal clear that change is needed.”