“Teaching is often described as a calling and not just a job because it’s fuelled by a deep desire to enable young lives to flourish,” says AEU President David Genford.
This is why educators never take lightly a decision to ‘walk off the job’– it only ever happens after we have pursued every other possible avenue.
And it is the case now as teachers, principals and support staff around Tasmania take morning stop-work action to demand government provide solutions to the education crisis.
“In 20 years of teaching, I have never seen such high levels of educator stress with rising violence, understaffing across the board and escalating workloads driving record levels of burnout.“
Educators spent a year formulating measures to improve teaching and learning in our schools. They are asking for a reduction in workload, smaller class sizes and for measures to deal with rising school violence. Educators are also asking for fair pay to enable our state to attract and retain the staff we need.
The Rockliff government summarily dismissed our claims – and instead issued a take-it-or-leave-it lowball pay offer – with nothing to make a meaningful difference to the working conditions of teachers or support staff. Tasmanian teachers are among the lowest paid of any state or territory and that is where the Rockliff government proposes they stay. Our support staff are stood down during term breaks for weeks at a time without pay, unlike in other states.
“Never mind the catchcry of “good faith bargaining” to work out such matters – educators have not even been treated with basic decency.”
Many teachers have lost confidence in Education Minister Jo Palmer and principals say trust in the education department is at an all-time low.
The most recent DECYP data available shows that teachers quitting in their first five years of service has increased 97 per cent from 2020 to 2024, while teachers suffering psychological injury increased by 59 per cent since 2021. An AEU survey shows teachers planning to quit before retirement has jumped from 12.5 per cent in 2020; to 34 per cent in 2024.
We all agree that teacher workloads are at unacceptable levels and cuts time for their core work of teaching and learning. Minister Palmer has talked many times about addressing workload and “pulling levers” but has failed to deliver meaningful change.
Everyone agrees that violence in schools is unacceptable, but again this government fails to take effective action. In Budget Estimates DECYP revealed that it does not have a system for tracking incidences of violence across all education workplaces, in real time. I couldn’t help but think of the adage that governments “measure what matters”.
Teachers and support staff in colleges are suffering from violence and assaults as students are left without specialised engagement and support programs after Year 10.
Tier 4 programs, to support the most disengaged students, are only available in Years 7-10, despite strong need in colleges. Regional areas are also disadvantaged, with a complete lack of specialist programs in the West Coast.
DECYP data from 2024, revealed year-long waits for more than 2000 students to receive diagnosis and treatment from a school psychologist. A further 380 were waiting to see a social worker, with another 598 waiting to see a speech and language pathologist.
I remember speaking to a school psychologist in the North-West who wanted to increase her hours but was denied because the school didn’t have the money. And I know of DECYP turning away suitable candidates for school psychologist positions because of budget cuts.
A teacher’s job is impossible if students are denied emotional, social and psychological support to enable them to learn.
The backdrop to all this is $80m in cuts to education announced in the September 2024 state budget, and which has further hobbled the effective delivery of education.
The Deloitte review into Tasmania’s 2024 TCE exam debacle slammed the understaffing and under-resourcing at the government regulator. Meanwhile, senior secondary curriculum writing has also ground to a halt because of staff shortages, leaving students with courses that are not fit-for-purpose.
Educators continue to do an extraordinary job for our students but everyone agrees they are being asked to do too much with too little and the system is in crisis. Teachers, principals and support staff are in unison saying “enough is enough”.
I have been overwhelmed with supportive messages from parents as we fight for safer schools and better conditions for learning and this incredible support gives educators hope.
“Ten years ago, Premier Jeremy Rockliff promised Tasmania would “lead the nation in education”. He keeps failing on his promise because he puts politics ahead of listening to educators.“
Imagine what our young people could achieve if the Rockliff government displayed the same steely resolve for an AFL team as it did for staffing schools to enable all students to reach their full potential?
David Genford is the Australian Education Union’s Tasmanian branch president.
(Originally published in The Mercury as ‘TEACHERS WORN DOWN BY VIOLENCE, RISING WORKLOADS AND LOW PAY ARE AT BOILING POINT’, 28 October 2025)
