Far be it from me to school a politician in what it means to be a dud, but what was he thinking?
The last two years have been difficult for everyone but the education sector has been profoundly affected. Why is the Acting Education Minister not asking how he can help schools recover from this extraordinary period of disruption? Why would he decide to put his boot into teachers when the profession is facing an existential crisis? This may be the perfect opportunity to ask how he might be of service.
Well, Mr Acting Education Minister, I will tell you what you can do to be of service to education: stop running teachers into the ground.
At the moment, the staffing shortages across schools are pushing teachers and school leaders to their limits, but they are not breaking, they are adapting and enduring. That’s what teachers do. Teachers continue to come to school and do their very best on behalf of their students, their colleagues and their wider community.
Though my ‘day job’ is leading the learning agenda for 80 Catholic schools across Western Sydney and the Blue Mountains, I recently stepped back into a classroom as an emergency casual. All school systems are really stepping up to this challenge, even Mr Robert’s heralded independent schools.
And don’t even get me started with how hard it is for our colleagues in rural and remote areas to staff their schools!
It seems like nobody wants to be a teacher anymore. And is it any wonder?
We had a moment, back in the early days of COVID when people were singing the praises of teachers, but as the pandemic has worn on, that sentiment has proved to be fleeting, sadly.
If only we could have sustained the narrative around the value of teachers. If only we could have more opportunities to celebrate the many achievements of teachers. Maybe that would help people see us as a thriving profession and they might like to join us.
I love being a teacher and love working with students and colleague teachers. I have worked across the three sectors of education alongside extraordinary teachers. In fact, I can’t really remember ever coming across these “duds” that the Acting Education Minister refers to.
What I remember most often are people doing their very best under a set of complex variables, most of which are out of a teacher’s control – socioeconomic status, complex family and social environments, funding constraints and so on. The list of variables is long.
No teacher rolls up at work with the intention of dragging the chain. They’re rolling up their sleeves and getting on with the job.
Acting Education Minister, perhaps ask teachers how you might help create the conditions that help teachers to shine: this is your job.
With an election just around the corner, there could be a politician or two looking for work before long. Our leaders can be certain there will still be employment opportunities in schools across the country.
Rest assured, we are looking for quality: duds need not apply.
