Autonomy is an absolute must for teachers

Teachers are the lifeblood of our education system – and right now, they’re struggling. A recent survey by The Black Dog Institute found that 47 per cent of teachers were considering leaving the profession altogether, a number that has more than tripled since 2021 amid disproportionate levels of stress, depression and anxiety.

The data tells us we are headed for a teaching crisis that threatens to cripple our education system and leave students in the lurch.

Unmanageable workloads, a lack of resources, and long hours have all contributed to the mass burnout felt by educators throughout the country.

The root of the problem, however, runs much deeper. Rigid curriculums, standardised assessments and relentless administration tasks are getting the better of our teachers, leaving them uninspired and unable to provide the quality of education that students really need.

The hours spent planning, assessing and reporting each week means that 92 per cent of teachers don’t have the time to effectively prepare for lessons and narrow curriculum requirements leave them with little to no chance to invest in the social and emotional development of their class.

This inability to creatively and intuitively teach beyond the curriculum is stifling our teachers and, by extension, our students.

Eliminating the emotional stressors of being overworked would allow teachers to use their professional skills to identify key learning opportunities beyond what is dictated by the curriculum. While data and research undoubtedly have a place in deciding what students need, there is no substitute for the professional judgement that teachers are uniquely positioned to offer from within the classroom.

Handing teachers the autonomy they need to remain engaged and motivated could be the key that stops our education system from paving its way to ruin. In any other industry, we look to professionals for guidance on creating the best outcomes.

It’s time we start offering teachers the same respect or we’re headed towards an education system that fails both its educators and its students.

We have a teacher shortage today but if we don’t act now, we will have a teacher absence tomorrow.