The oldest profession – teaching – is no longer attractive. The Queensland Deans of Education revealed there have been alarming drops in first preference applications for this year’s teacher preparation courses. Queensland has experienced an overall 26% drop. Most alarmingly, UQ reported a 44% plunge. QUT saw a 19% drop.
These figures reflect a national trend. ACU’s is down 20% for campuses in Queensland, New South Wales and Victoria. This follows disappointing interest in 2017. VTAC reported a 40% drop in 2017 compared to 2016. So why don’t people want to be teachers anymore?
There are at least seven reasons people aren’t so keen.
1. Teacher education competency fixation.
Our best teachers can inspire a student to achieve beyond their wildest expectations. They find the teachable moments and use humour to explain key concepts. They care for their students as individuals and go that extra mile to design their teaching to connect with them in meaningful ways. Their assessments are fair and they rejoice with students when they master important ideas.
Top Comments
Teachers whingeing...again.
For a profession that has one of the most powerful unions in the country, so much so that the rest of the workforce of working parents have to work around teacher’s conditions, teachers don’t do anything about their concerns.
Fight it out and see what improvements you can get! If you have to stop work, don’t worry, we parents will take even more of our annual leave to cover you.
Oh you poor dear, having to look after your own child. Oh the pain
You have an antiquated view on reality. The teachers union has no power. When was the last strike for better conditions? Teachers have been going backwards with salary since 1970. In that time the work load has quadrupled. (Yeah they may have had it good back then). Their conditions and sa llk ary - which used to be in line with a NSW parliamentarian backbencher is niw so far removed. If it IS such a cosy job - YOU DO IT!