‘It is unsustainable’: Guardian readers on the crisis of Australian teacher shortages

Teachers tell us the stresses on the system are creating huge workloads and leading many to consider leaving the profession, to the detriment of a generation of schoolchildren

More than 200 people responded within three days to our callout on the effects of teacher shortages in Australia. Current and former teachers, and some parents, expressed their anguish at what unbearable workloads were doing to staff and students. Many referred to the casualisation of the workforce and the increase in administrative tasks asked of teachers.

Some also said they were routinely expected to deal with a rising number of behavioural problems of students, and others cited aggressive and unrealistic demands of parents as factors that contributed to burnout.