Teachers racking up $11.5bn in unpaid labour each year, analysis
Teachers work an average of 12 hours over the standard 38 hours each week, earning unpaid labor worth $11.5 billion a year, according to a new analysis published by the Greens.
The minor party has demanded that the Library of Parliament calculate the figures in time for World Teachers’ Day to shine a light on “the extent of the overwork crisis that is pushing teachers out of classrooms”.
“It’s no surprise that teachers are leaving the profession in droves,” said Greens Primary and Secondary Education spokeswoman Penny Allman-Payne.
“Our teachers are overworked, undervalued, and face increasingly difficult and unsafe conditions in the classroom.”
Senator Allman-Payne, herself a former teacher, said there is “nothing more demoralizing for a teacher than feeling like you failed a student because you didn’t have enough time or enough resources.”
“This World Teachers’ Day, we need Labor to fully fund state schools and reverse the widening inequality gap that threatens the future of millions of children,” he said.
Calling its finding “a very broad figure” that “should be used with caution,” the House Library based its analysis on hours, workforce and wage data from a handful of government agencies.
Noting some differences, Australian Education Union vice president Meredith Pearce said this was broadly consistent with her union’s findings.
“One of the big things is the administrative burden, what we call the administrative and compliance burden – excessive hours spent on administration and data entry, people not having time during paid work hours to prepare and plan for their classes,” he told NewsWire.
He also said workload wasn’t the only reason teachers left the profession, but it was a “significant factor.”
“It’s not the only factor, but it’s one of the major factors driving people away from the profession and deterring new entrants from the profession,” Ms Pearce said, adding that it was “not being addressed well enough by governments”.
