Deputy Head of College
Navigating the Future of Education: Addressing the Global Teacher Shortage and Fostering Wellbeing in Australian Schools
A recent UNESCO report projects that, by 2030, there will be a global deficit of 44 million primary and secondary teachers.1 This growing crisis is affecting high income countries as well as developing regions, and the reasons for it are multifaceted and varied. Education systems in most OECD countries, including Australia, have remained largely the same for at least a generation – and yet the current paradigm in education is ill equipped for the more complex, uncertain, ambiguous and technologically transformed societies in which we now live. Approaches to education in most western countries are characteristically centralised, standardised, hierarchical and rigid; they are not well suited to adapting to the rapidity and extent of the changes we are experiencing.
In the Australian context, multiples studies since the end of the COVID-19 pandemic make clear that excessive workload is a primary factor negatively impacting teacher wellbeing, with consequences for both the recruitment and retention of teachers. Challenges in teacher recruitment are even affecting even wealthy independent schools in major urban areas for core subject areas; this was not the case even five years ago. Specifically, studies show that increased administrative burdens and demands, a lack of planning time and declining work-life balance have been reported as significant issues for teachers across all sectors Australian schools.2 Whilst some of this is within the control of schools, other aspects come back to our model for education, or are a result of government policies or education authorities.
Researchers in this space “recommend, in addition to schools implementing teacher work-life balance and workload policies, that schools support teachers in applying positive psychology strategies to support their wellbeing.”3 This is why fostering staff wellbeing has been an ongoing priority in our current Strategic Plan. Some of the initiatives we have developed in the past couple of years include introducing an annual staff wellbeing survey, the creation of a Staff Wellbeing Committee, simplifying reporting processes, introducing the ‘Oxley Institute’ to provide financial assistance for teachers to achieve further qualifications that will benefit the school, and (where possible) providing asynchronous professional learning, to provide flexibility to staff. Whilst we are making positive progress in this area, we know that there is more to do. Returning to this year’s UNESCO report:
“The global teacher shortage demands urgency…. Recasting teaching as a collaborative profession, lifelong professional development, professional autonomy, and engaging teachers in decision-making are crucial aspects highlighted in the report”.4
The Oxley Gym is Back!
It has been wonderful to see the return of the new and improved gym at Oxley in the past month, and to already have so many students using it! Aligned to our wellbeing principle “Stay Fit”, the gym is available for students from Year 6 to 12 at designated times, and, from this week, is also available to staff. In the four weeks since it has opened, almost 150 Gym Inductions have been completed, with close to a total of 200 individual student sign-ins for the 14 weekly gym sessions, as well as 7 weekly Group Classes; a great uptake. If you have any questions about the gym, or are interested in your child completing an induction, please contact our Gym Instructor, Brooke Devlin.
Dr Judith Locke – Parent/Carer Presentation
Best-selling parenting book author, Judith Locke, is coming to Oxley at start of next term. Dr Locke will be delivering presentation for Junior School parents and carers at 6.00pm on Tuesday 23 July, and for Senior School parents and carers at 6pm on Wednesday 24 July. Her presentations are supported by both research and her extensive experience with schools and families and will provide parent and carers with credible and actionable strategies to ensure children and young people have been able to realise their potential. This is highly recommended. To book: Helping Your Child Become Confident & Capable Tickets, Oxley College, Burradoo | TryBooking Australia
Yours sincerely
Mr Mark Case
Deputy Head of College
2 Lemon N., Turner K. (2023). Unravelling the wellbeing needs of Australian teachers:
a qualitative inquiry. The Australian Educational Researcher.
3 Ibid.