AEU Victorian President Meredith Peace has been writing to Labor MPs all month, urging them to take action the teacher shortage crisis. Thirty days later, Premier Daniel Andrews and his government are still yet to take meaningful action.
Read below for today's email:
Dear MP,
A month ago, I first wrote to you and your state Labor MP colleagues about the teacher shortage crisis in our schools.
In that time, the situation has escalated significantly with advertised vacancies in our schools climbing as high as 2600 this week.
This is problem for school staff who are stretched covering the gaps. And it means that too many students are not receiving full learning programs delivered by a qualified permanent teacher.
Right now, your government is ignoring the problem. Ignoring it won’t make it go away.
Only clear and sustained measures with commensurate investment will address the teacher shortage. Keeping existing teachers in our public schools must be your first priority, along with additional investment to support existing preservice teachers and to attract even more people to study to become a teacher.
Immediate bold action is need, as getting enough qualified teachers who are seeking a job in our schools will not happen overnight. The shortage crisis is not a short-term blip, but it is a problem that is likely to be experienced in 2024, 2025 and beyond.
Particular impacts on the teacher shortage on students include:
- subject choices reduced, classes cancelled, work set by teachers who do not cover class as there are not enough permanent teachers available
- larger class sizes, meaning less opportunity for individual support
- whole classes split up with students being sent to another class when a teacher for their class is not available. In some cases, students must sit on the floor when there are not enough tables and chairs or space to cater for large numbers.
And the impact on staff means staff regularly being asked to go above and beyond to paper over the cracks and significant gaps, including:
- taking classes with increased numbers of students
- covering extra classes beyond limits set in the industrial agreement
- teaching classes in subjects they are not qualified for
- missing out on mandated planning and preparation time
- having leave applications denied, such as long service and leave without pay, due to lack of replacement teachers.
- attending work when unwell, due to casual relief teacher shortages
- school leaders covering many classrooms, resulting in core leadership responsibilities being done after hours and on weekends.
- being subjected to unsafe behaviour from some students who are not coping with their disrupted learning environments.
A shortage of teachers has graver implications for our community than staffing shortages in some other industries. As a community, a promise is made to our children and young people: that they can receive a high-quality education at their local public school. A lack of action by your government sees this promise being broken.
I again call on you to raise this issue with the Premier and Education Minister, the AEU members in your electorate will appreciate your advocacy.
As always, please do not hesitate to get in touch if you would like to meet and discuss these concerns and the possible solution in more detail.
Click here to read a copy of my letter from 10 August 2023.
Yours sincerely,
Meredith Peace
President, Australian Education Union Victorian Branch