“It is hard to be a student in a public school right now, and I feel as though I do not have access to the same things other people who are studying the same VCE subjects as me have, which puts me at a disadvantage. I can’t go to a private school because it is unaffordable, but I want to have the same opportunities as every student across the state.” – Victorian Student
Executive Summary
Our survey of 422 Victorian teachers, students and parents has indicated strongly to us that our current public school system is failing. Teachers are struggling with unsustainable workloads, unmanageable class sizes and lack of adequate training and mentorship to deal with behavioural issues or the additional needs of disabled or neurodivergent students. Parents are struggling to pay for their child’s education in a supposedly free public school system. They are increasingly asked to make voluntary donations, pay for devices and expensive camps or excursions due to funding shortfalls from both the state and federal governments. Students are lacking the support they need from counsellors, education support staff and other allied health professionals. They’re missing out on one on one time with their teachers and work tailored to their abilities. They worry that they’re missing out if they can’t afford to go to private school due to the lack of funding and resources available to public schools.
Our survey respondents strongly agreed that teachers at their school were overworked and concurrently, students at their school who are struggling don’t get enough attention. They also indicated that employing more teachers and support staff, reducing teacher workloads and raising teacher salaries would improve teacher retention in the public school system and address some of the current issues with public schooling.
Policy solutions put forward by the Inquiry into Victoria’s Public School System address some but not all of the concerns raised by submissions to the inquiry and this survey. Most notably, it doesn’t recommend that the State Government commit to defunding private schools or fully funding public schools. It also doesn’t have any recommendations that suggest reducing class sizes or teacher’s workloads.The Green’s education policies continue to and have always advocated for genuinely free public schools, better remuneration and reduced workloads for teachers and equitable access to education for all facilitated by funding, education support staff and smaller class sizes.
“Having moved to Victoria (supposedly the education state) from another state, I have experienced a drop in pay, rise in working hours and far less classroom support.” – Victorian Teacher
Introduction
One of the key tenets of a strong society and a healthy democracy is equal access to education. Access to public education at all levels allows us as a community to begin addressing structural inequalities from a young age. When it is run effectively, public schooling can open employment and earning opportunities up to different portions of society as well as decrease discrimination through interaction with people from different backgrounds, ethnicities, socio-economic status and differing abilities. It can normalise and educate the next generation on topics such as gender, sexuality, religion and many more issues young people are likely to face in their lives.
However, what The Greens have heard from you over the last 12 months through our survey and the Victorian Government’s inquiry into public schooling is that it’s not functioning as it should. Lack of sufficient funding, teacher burnout, teacher shortages, lack of support for challenging or extra needs students and overcrowded classrooms are among key factors you’ve brought to our attention that are preventing our public schooling system from fulfilling many of its essential functions. This has led to poor wellbeing and academic outcomes for our children, overwork and stress for our teachers and will eventually result in a more segmented, less educated and overall less prosperous society in Victoria.
This report will summarise the findings of our public school survey, detailing the problems identified and the funding and policy changes you- the teachers, parents and students of Victoria- are advocating for. It will also outline the recommendations put forward by the recent inquiry into public schools, our minority report and recommendations put forward to the inquiry and The Greens federal and state policies on education and public schooling.
RESPONSE DEMOGRAPHICS
Our survey received responses from 422 Victorians, of which 286 were teachers, 95 were parents, 24 were students. Of the final 16 respondents, most worked in and around the schooling system in education support, administration or allied health roles.
Our respondents overwhelmingly identified as female.
96.2% of people who completed the survey were millennials.
This indicated to us that issues with our public schooling system primarily affect women and young people.
“Schools are barely able to teach, just plug holes in a system that’s bleeding out.” – Victorian Teacher
What we heard
Lack of support for diverse students/ EAL/ disability/ neurodiversity
There is a lack of support for students with disabilities, neurodiversity or who have English as a second language. Large class sizes and lack of funding for education support workers means that these students are often getting left behind in mainstream schools and are receiving poor results or having behavioural issues that aren’t being addressed. It is also very difficult for disabled or neurodivergent students to access funding from the government for their school, even if they have received a diagnosis it is often their teachers that are left to create an individualised learning plan without any extra time or resources allocated to facilitating the changes the child needs. Allied health support including speech pathology and counselling which could help these students adjust and thrive at school can also be difficult to access due to long wait times and lack of funding for schools to hire practitioners for their school.
Teachers have also raised concerns about the absence of behaviour management units in their degree and lack of training once they’re in the workforce to deal with student violence, behavioural issues and high needs students, leaving them feeling unsafe and overwhelmed at work and unable to meet student’s needs.
“It is one big ugly machine with too many students falling between the cogs” – Victorian Parent
Lack of appropriate remuneration and societal respect for teachers
Teachers have let us know that they feel undervalued in their work. They feel this is reflected both in their remuneration, the attitudes reflected by parents and the media, and the unrealistic reporting standards set by the government. Many teachers explained that the huge amount of administration that has been added to year on year by the education department has led to an untenable workload for teachers, which sees them working 50-80 hours per week, including in the evening, on weekends and during holidays. 84.5% of respondents agreed or strongly agreed that teachers at their school are overworked. This workload also demonstrated to them that the government doesn’t trust teachers to do their job, requiring them to document and report on every element of their job all the time.
This lack of adequate remuneration and increased workload has led to low retention of teachers. Schools also tend to hire more graduate teachers to make up for funding shortfalls as they are cheaper to pay than teachers with years of experience. This has resulted in a lack of experience in the school system, leaving recent graduates feeling unsupported in difficult situations and unable to grow in their profession without good leadership or mentorship from colleagues. Lack of teachers in the field also results in teachers being forced to teach outside of the subject areas they have knowledge and training in.
“I love teaching, but I don’t love being a teacher.” – Victorian Teacher
Lack of sufficient government funding for public schools
Despite the state and federal government both still refusing to fund public schools to the full international standard recommended by the Gonski report in 2011, private schools receive 20% of government funding for education. This puts non-government schools at an advantage, able to invest in state of the art technology, equipment, excursions and facilities, while many public schools are forced to rely on their teachers and parents to make up for the government’s funding shortfalls. Public schools are supposed to be free, however, more and more parents are asked to make ‘voluntary contributions’ to the school or pay exorbitant amounts for camps, excursions or devices. Relying on parent contributions also means that schools in high socio-economic areas are able to provide their students with more subjects, resources, excursions and camps than those in poor areas. This creates a wealth disparity in the education students are receiving which is not how a fair public schooling system should function.
Teachers have also reported having to pay for their own school supplies including books, stationary, printing worksheets and other essential classroom resources. Public school facilities are also not meeting requirements, with buildings being old, run down with broken heating or aircon, forcing students to learn in 30+ degree heat in summer or freezing temperatures over winter.
Teachers also feel unable to take leave, even if they are sick or owed time off in lieu due to lack of CRTs. When a CRT is not available, or there isn’t any funding available to cover a teacher’s leave, classes are split across the already crowded classes in the rest of the year level. This means the teachers who are working are left to teach classes of up to 40 students, increasing their already unmanageable workload.
“In short, the education system is broken and in crisis. Schools are underfunded. The curriculum is overcrowded. Teachers are working excessive hours outside of their paid contract…in meetings and completing endless paperwork. It is not a sustainable career anymore.” – Victorian Teacher
What you want
More staff in schools
74.8% of respondents said that more staffing in schools would increase teacher retention in the public school system. This includes more teachers, teachers aides and education support staff and greater integration of external services such as occupational therapists, social workers and speech therapists.
53.3% of survey respondents indicated that smaller class sizes would also assist teachers and encourage them to remain in the profession. Class sizes should be capped at 12-22 students so that all students are able to get one on one time with teachers and teachers are able to keep up with contacting parents and meeting each student’s needs.
It should be easier for students and teachers to access funding for additional needs in a timely manner so classes are not disrupted and students are not falling behind due to issues that could be helped by an education support staff or additional resources. Allied health professionals should also be employed or work in partnership with schools to ensure students and parents have easy access to these services and are not turning to teachers to fill in these gaps.
Additional admin staff should be hired to aid teachers with non-specialised admin tasks they are currently required to undertake including printing, photocopying, data entry, calling parents etc.
A standardised and thorough curriculum with resources available to all teachers
School curriculums should be clear, well designed and an appropriate length to get through in a standard school year. The curriculum design should be detailed enough that it can be implemented in a standard manner across the state so that all students are receiving the same education on the same topics. Ready to use resources should also be made available to all teachers to lessen their workload in terms of lesson planning and resource creation. The curriculum shouldn’t try to cram in too much content, and should instead focus on what is realistic for the age group it is designed for, taking into account class sizes, student free days and likely missed days due to teacher leave.
Make teaching a more attractive profession
As one of our most essential professions, teaching should be paid and treated as such. Work conditions and remuneration will both need to improve in order for teachers to feel valued and to make the profession more enticing to study and stay in. 62.5% of respondents said reducing teacher’s workloads would increase the number of teachers remaining in the public school sector. Raising remuneration was also a popular suggestion, with 62% saying this would improve teacher retention.
Teachers need protected time, outside of the classroom, to complete their additional duties including planning, marking, reporting, contacting parents, preparing lessons and attending meetings. Simply adding these duties onto a teacher who is in the classroom full time leads to burnout and people leaving the profession.
The education department should be paying the wages of teachers directly, rather than schools paying wages out of their allocated funding. By paying teachers directly it removes the monetary disincentive to hire experienced teachers whose salaries are higher. This will even up the workforce, giving graduate teachers greater access to mentorship, and students at poorer schools access to experienced teachers.
Teachers deserve to feel protected by school leadership, the education department and government both physically and legally. For the safety of students and staff, teachers should be given training to deal with violent and disruptive behaviour. They should also be given support from their school to communicate student issues to parents and to implement appropriate behaviour management strategies.
“It’s not okay to expect teachers to work for free because ‘it’s for the kids’.” – Victorian Teacher
Better reporting and administration standards
The Victorian government needs to trust teachers to perform their role, without the need for pointless administration, tick box tasks and reporting. These administrative tasks, which are often double ups of already recorded information, are an unnecessary drain on teacher’s time which takes them away from the crux of their job which is to plan lessons and then teach them.
Furthermore, ranking schools solely on academic outcomes excludes some students especially those with learning difficulties or issues with behavioural regulation. It also creates unhealthy rivalry between public schools, disincentivising cooperation, collaboration and the sharing of resources which could benefit students and teachers from multiple schools. Lastly, it makes invisible the other benefits children get from school or alternative vocational pathways they could take. Student wellbeing, satisfaction, and engagement in classes should be used as equal measures of the value schools provide to our communities and children.
“We have a lack of funding towards schools that really need it. How are some schools getting funding for state of the art facilities, whilst others have students fainting due to a lack of aircon?” – Victorian Teacher
Defunding private schools to ensure all public schools have the funding they need
Private schools should be defunded by the state in favour of enabling public schools to reach the minimum funding standard set out by the Gonski report in 2011 . Public schools in Victoria should be made genuinely free and all schools should have equitable access to the gold standard in education. This includes ensuring funding for all school facilities to be up to date and in working order, all students to be provided with devices or appropriate printed materials, as well as funding to ensure all students can access excursions, camps and other school events.
Teachers should also be provided ongoing professional development and training opportunities throughout their career. This should include appropriate cover for their classes while they are completing this training so they’re not overburdened with catch up work or extra students upon returning from training. Teachers should not have to decide between their class completing the curriculum and being taught in a reasonable size class and training to further their career; both should be possible.
“The pressure on parents to fundraise for the school is ever-present – in purchasing, in crafting/baking, in committees, in attending. But we are also trying to keep our own heads above water in this cost of living crisis – everyone is resource and time poor.” – Victorian Parent
Education support staff and child specific resources for additional needs students, children with neurodivergence and behavioural difficulties
Enabling all students to attend excursions and camps and allocated funds to cover teacher’s accrued time off in lieu following excursions and campsUp to date equipment & facilities CRTs and leave cover
Technology to ensure all students have access to devices required for learning
All schools should have the capacity to offer all subjects if student interest is there
Mental health support in schools
Payment for student placements
“Please, listen to teachers. Help us support and sustain public education. We’re drowning and no one listens.” – Victorian Teacher
Our minority report
Though we believe that the public schools inquiry was a step in the right direction for the Victorian government, and we have welcomed the opportunity to hear from so many schools, educators and students, we believe that its recommendations fall short in a few key areas.
These areas include protection and greater inclusion of diverse communities including First Nations education, LGBTQI+ students and ESL or migrant students. In our opinion, the recommendations also don’t do enough to address the wellbeing of students, and greater investment should be made to guarantee mental health support for students. The Victorian government should also listen to the plans, designs and needs of Victorian teachers by adopting the demands put forward by their union and stepping up to fully fund public schools.
Below are some of our recommendations put forward by our minority report, but you can also read our full minority report here at the end of the main inquiry report.
That the Victorian Government consult with First Nations communities and Elders regarding an expansive state-wide program for the sharing of First Nations culture and language with school students
That the Victorian Government fully funds public schools to a minimum of the Gonski school resource standard, and ensures that all school funding of both public and private schools is strictly needs based.
That the Victorian Government commits to ‘A Mental Health Service Access Guarantee’ for Victorian students as proposed by the Australian Education Union, Victorian branch which ensures availability, timely provision, and ongoing provision of mental health services in schools and the broader community.
That the Department of Education conduct a comprehensive review of the diverse experiences within school communities, and resource schools to deliver programs to ensure that students are able to receive an education free from discrimination.
That the government listens to a supports all school staff including teachers, education support staff, administrators and cleaning staff and adopts all measures recommended by the Australian Education Union Victorian branch ‘A ten-year plan for staffing in public education’ report
“Once upon a time the purpose of the public education system was to provide opportunities for disadvantaged kids to achieve their potential. Now it seems to aim to maintain the class system” – Victorian Parent
Our policies
Below is a summary of our key promises for education reform and the policies we’re pushing for. You can read a more detailed list of our state education policies here and federal education policies here.
Fully funding public schools and ensuring that no government funding is allocated to schools that operate for private profit.
Making public education genuinely free by removing out-of-pocket school expenses for families including ‘voluntary’ fees, subject costs, and digital devices. Concurrently, increase funding to ensure that all students can afford to participate in the full range of extracurricular activities including but not limited to camps, excursions and instrumental music.
Smaller class sizes throughout the public education system to achieve manageable workloads for all educators and the best educational outcomes for all students.
Differences in educational outcomes should not be the result of differences in wealth, income, power, ethnicity, gender, gender identity, sexuality, disability, or geographic location. The educational opportunities and outcomes for First Nations peoples should be equal to the rest of the Victorian population. Increased support services and specialised staff to address barriers to education for vulnerable or additional needs students.
Increased pay, professional recognition, improved training opportunities and more time outside of the classroom for both education and support staff allocated for participation in professional learning communities. All school teachers are provided with adequate support and mentoring during training and the first years of their careers to encourage committed and capable people from across the community into the teaching profession.
Decisions about curriculum, testing, reporting and teaching to be made in consultation with appropriate educational experts, teachers, parents, students and other stakeholders.
Public education infrastructure to be adequately funded for capital works and maintenance to create an optimal learning environment whilst meeting the highest environmental sustainability standards.
Competition between schools based on narrow measures of performance is not an effective way to improve Australia’s education outcomes.
