Teacher shortage

[Greynomad]

No wonder we’re short of teachers!
Just watched a news item reporting tradie wages.
Melbourne: $125.00/hr!!
Sydney: :115.00/hr!!

SWMBO retired 12 years ago on a salary less than HALF that… after 40 years and having THREE degrees!
And she was lucky. She had a permanent job, not a 12mth or one term contract, where teachers have to reapply for their job every year or term.
The solution to the teacher shortage is simple: offer permanent jobs. Otherwise they have no chance of getting a home loan, finance for a car, or any major financial commitment.
Who would voluntarily join up for that?
Fellow teacher had two sons. One went into teaching, the other, train driving. Teacher took SIX YEARS to finally get a permanent job @ $70,000 after a succession of casual positions in the same school. Other son walked into a permanent job @ $150,000/pa.
Nobody values teachers any more. Yet they have the future of the country in their hands. They are flat out all day, and spend unpaid time at home marking papers or preparing lessons.
The “9 to 3 o’clock days with 10 weeks holiday” is a myth.
The only REAL holiday time is the end-of-year one.
While we were travelling with the children, SWMBO was always on the lookout for material to use in lessons. Never off duty!
Likewise our local Vet has a new employee who qualified… and started work with a $200,000 HECS debt!
Apprenticeships are the go at the moment. You may not have a brilliant starting salary, but at least it’s a wage, and you earn while you learn — without a HECS debt.

[jon_d]

The solution to the teacher shortage is simple: offer permanent jobs.

No it's not.

[Dot]

My niece is a teacher in Melb, if there is any problem with a child she rings the parents, she is not allowed to "comfort" the child, not allowed to tell it off, She has had a kid of 6 yrs of age pull a knife on her , nothing she could do but press stress alarm, another kid pooped it's pants, called the parent as not allowed to touch them. Bugger that, they need danger money. Thanks to the PC nutters.

[jon_d]

yep. that's just one reason.

[dream4red]

Ray and Dot are both right. Until permanent work is granted to all the casuals, they will be just that...casual. You don't get really motivated professional staff, if they are unsure of where they will be working next week/month/year.

The way that teachers have no rights or any protection from violent students is a huge problem as is the ruling that you may not touch the child. Imagine seeing a 4 year old have a fall and bawling their eyes out. Remember, no touching. A quick cuddle or pat on the shoulder to let them know they will be ok is not allowed. This in my mind becomes neglect and is why I will never return to teaching.

[T1 Terry]

As a mechanic, with 10 yrs experience at the time, I was told even though I had a substantial deposit, I didn't earn enough to qualify for a home loan ..... I went out to work for myself in a very highly skilled section of the trade, trained 3 "apprentice of the yr" for each yr they attended TAFE, all 3 left the trade to make decent money. When the business went bad, I went to work for a number of different employers on a "cash in hand" basis but actually made better money on the books working as a barman.
I eventually gave up and put my name down at a labour hire mob as a fitter, a job the very next day that paid near double what I was earning as a mechanic, yet I didn't need a fraction of the knowledge or skill level.

People wonder why they can no longer find skilled mechanics, it will be the same very shortly with teachers and many other poorly paid yet high skill jobs ..... The answer is clear, make people want to work in these highly skilled positions, pay is only part of it, the working conditions and stress levels are another big part of it, we need to sort these problems soon or we will be back to repairing our own broken equipment, nursing our own family when sick or aged and teaching our own children ..... and that will severely cramp our ability to earn a living ......

T1 Terry