The union representing over 17,000 teachers and staff across Queensland and Northern Territory non-government schools has called for urgent action on teacher workloads following the damning findings of the Productivity Commission’s Review of the National School Reform Agreement released today (20 January 2023).
Independent Education Union – Queensland and Northern Territory (IEU-QNT) Branch Secretary Terry Burke said the Commission’s review revealed the extent of the workload crisis facing teachers.
“Sadly this review confirms what our union has been advocating for over the last decade – teachers need more time to teach,” Mr Burke said.
“Instead, they are being overwhelmed by administrative work which is, in turn, impacting student outcomes.
“Teachers are being forced to do too much non-teaching work and the learning quality in our schools is suffering as a result,” Mr Burke said.
As Productivity Commission Commissioner Natalie Siegel-Brown has said in relation to the review, “effective teaching is the single most influential ‘in-school’ factor for creating an effective learning environment. Compared to many countries, our teachers work longer hours but have less time for activities that make a real difference in the classroom”.
Mr Burke said improvements to student outcomes would not occur without a significant reduction in the administrative workloads of Australian teachers.
“Paperwork, more red tape and an obsession with data are sucking the life out of our profession,” Mr Burke said.
“Employer demands and government policy are contributing to these unsustainable workloads.
“Our union calls on all levels of government and employers to put in place meaningful reforms to ensure teachers have the time to do what they do best: teach.
“The voice of the profession is essential to fixing this crisis and our voice must be heard,” Mr Burke said.
