EP’s Curriculum Leads share their insights
Teacher shortages in Australia and New Zealand are a significant concern, potentially impacting the quality of education across both countries. An aging workforce, high rates of burnout and attrition, and insufficient numbers of new graduates entering the profession have exacerbated the issue, particularly in rural areas.
Education Perfect’s (EP) Curriculum Leads for Australia and New Zealand share their understanding of the impact on teachers, strategies that they have witnessed reduce teacher stress, and how EP is supporting schools to tackle the issue.
Empathy for hard-pressed teachers and school leaders
EP Curriculum Leads Kelly Hollis (Australia) and Justin Paul (New Zealand) interact with schools across both countries daily and understand the mounting concerns. Kelly describes a vicious cycle with teachers leaving due to workload pressures, while young people no longer see teaching as an attractive career option.
“The pressure on teachers is huge, made worse by the negativity from the public and media,” Kelly says. “As a result, there are fewer new entrants, and many current teachers are looking for other careers, at a time when large numbers are retiring. I know many educators who are moving on even if it means taking a pay cut amid the cost of living crisis. They feel it’s worth it for their own sanity.”
Kelly highlights Victoria as an example: “There are currently a thousand vacancies, so the workload for remaining teachers is increasing dramatically. Sickness is on the rise and schools lack the capacity for trips and camps. The government introduced mandated time-off-in-lieu to motivate teachers to support extra-curricular activities, but this results in teachers taking time off when they need to be in class, further exacerbating the shortage. For many it feels like a no-win situation and we are keen to rectify that.”
Justin describes the situation in Aotearoa: “There are a lot of non-specialist teachers having to take on specialist roles, especially in the STEM curriculum areas. Teaching outside of your own curriculum area is highly stressful and demanding in terms of time. This issue is even more pronounced in Kura Kaupapa Māori schools (Te Reo full immersion schools) who are seeking specialist teachers fluent in Te Reo. Some kura have to resort to non-speakers and the NZ curriculum to ensure their ākonga are being taught.”
In both countries, the number of casual teachers available for relieving is also tight.
“I find it harder and harder to talk to school leaders because they are covering classes, adding to the pressure at management levels too,” sympathises Kelly.
Steps schools can take to mitigate the impact of teaching shortages
Both nations are implementing various strategies to address these shortages, including recruitment drives to bring ex-teachers back into the workforce or to attract overseas teachers, incentives for teaching in underserved areas, and initiatives to improve teacher training and support.
Meanwhile, schools are striving to create more sustainable work environments. Kelly and Justin have identified successful strategies from working with numerous schools. These include providing strong administrative support, implementing collaborative planning and team teaching to distribute the instructional load, and focusing on teachers’ mental health and well-being with counselling services and stress management workshops. Regular recognition and appreciation of teachers’ efforts, along with active parental and community involvement, especially volunteers, also contribute to a supportive work environment.
EP’s contribution to alleviating pressure on teachers
Kelly and Justin have collated strategies for how EP, as one of the world’s leading teaching resources, is making a real difference to educators who are time-short and under pressure.
Reducing stress: For Kelly, EP has the capacity to reduce the burden on a teacher if they need to step outside the classroom for whatever reason, be it sickness, mental health issues, or extracurricular commitments. “EP gives teachers a sense of security. They know that their students will be using a familiar, high-quality, curriculum-aligned, interactive tool that provides feedback and next-steps. The students will be kept engaged by the gamification and competitions, and the teacher can remotely track student progress via the monitoring mode, providing additional feedback if they wish. You can imagine the peace of mind that provides.”
Support for non-specialist teachers: Justin’s Kiwi schools, struggling to find specialist teachers, value the comprehensive and curriculum-aligned content coverage. “I constantly hear from teachers who are covering subjects that they are not familiar with. They are using EP to stay a few tasks ahead of the students, giving them a sense of confidence and easing workload pressures. They are even enjoying learning about new subjects and picking up new skills. Many teachers particularly appreciate EP’s Aotearoa history resources, especially overseas teachers, who may not be familiar with New Zealand history. EP’s Te Ao Māori course for educators is also increasing in popularity year on year.”
Efficient workload management: Justin identifies specific attributes of EP that make a difference to teachers who are under the pump. “The value of EP’s features is amplified by the pressures created by the teacher shortage. The simplicity of pre- and post-task assessments, the effortless differentiation and personalisation, and the insightful reporting all lessen a teacher’s workload and support ongoing student achievement, even where teaching resourcing is proving challenging.”
EP empowers educators, using the latest technological developments including AI and analytics, to provide quality teaching and learning during these demanding times. EP means teachers can still dedicate themselves to their true passion even amidst teacher shortages—teaching and inspiring students to reach their highest potential.
Contact our Curriculum Leads for support
As we approach Term 3, a particularly pressurised time for teachers due to the focus on driving student achievement, our Curriculum Leads, including Kelly and Justin, are available to support your staff in implementing any of the above EP features that could help reduce staff burnout and improve the teaching experience.
Reach out to us to learn more about how we can assist your school in these challenging times.
