What is causing the teacher shortage in Australia?

 Australia’s teacher shortage isn’t just a staffing problem — it’s a warning bell for how we value, support, and retain educators. Right now, schools across the country are scrambling to fill classrooms, but the causes run deeper than a tight labour market. From plummeting morale to policy gaps and pay disparity, the profession is facing a slow burn. So what exactly is fuelling the teacher drought?

Let’s unpack it.

Why are Australian schools struggling to keep teachers?

At its core, the shortage stems from a perfect storm of burnout, bureaucracy, and broken promises.

Many teachers begin their careers with a sense of purpose. But fast-forward a few years, and too many feel overwhelmed, underpaid, and under-appreciated. A 2023 Monash University report found that more than 50% of early-career teachers considered leaving the profession within their first five years.

What’s draining them?

  • Unmanageable workloads: Teachers routinely work beyond contract hours — often 50–60 hours a week — with lesson planning, marking, and admin eating into evenings and weekends.

  • Administrative bloat: Ask any teacher, and they’ll tell you — teaching is becoming less about students and more about paperwork. Compliance, data entry, and ever-changing curriculum updates take precedence.

  • Behavioural challenges: Classrooms have become tougher to manage, with rising behavioural issues and inadequate support from specialist staff or leadership.

When your job is equal parts educator, social worker, bureaucrat, and crowd controller — it’s no wonder people burn out.

Is low pay still a major issue?

Absolutely — and it’s not just about the base salary.

While starting salaries for graduate teachers in Australia range around $75,000, that figure flattens quickly. It can take 10+ years to reach the top of the pay scale, often with minimal incentive for professional development or leadership unless you leave the classroom entirely.

Compare that to other professions with similar university qualification requirements, and teachers fall short. Plus, there’s the invisible cost: the unpaid overtime, emotional labour, and personal investment in classroom resources.

Even the recent wage increases in some states (like NSW’s 2023 agreement to raise top teacher salaries to $122,000) don’t address why teachers leave in the first place — which often isn’t just pay, but dignity and autonomy.

Are fewer people becoming teachers?

Yes, and the pipeline’s drying up fast.

University enrolments in teaching degrees have plummeted over the past decade. According to Universities Australia, applications for education degrees dropped by nearly 20% between 2014 and 2022.

Why?

  • Teaching has a brand problem: It’s no longer seen as an aspirational or secure career.

  • Practicum burnout: Many teaching students get disillusioned before they even graduate, citing poor support during placements.

  • Entry barriers: The push for higher ATAR thresholds, while well-intentioned, may deter capable, passionate applicants — especially those from rural or low-SES backgrounds.

We’re seeing a generational shift. Gen Z wants purpose — but they also want psychological safety and flexibility. Right now, teaching offers one, but not the others.

Are rural and remote schools hit harder?

Definitely. And disproportionately.

Schools in regional, remote, and low-SES areas face the brunt of the crisis. It’s not uncommon for principals to cover classes, or for schools to rotate casuals weekly — a nightmare for continuity and student learning.

Why is it worse outside the cities?

  • Fewer incentives: Relocation packages are often inadequate, and once teachers arrive, there’s limited support or connection to community.

  • Isolation: Professional development is harder to access, and new teachers may find themselves with little mentoring or collegial support.

  • Cultural mismatch: Especially in Indigenous communities, outsider teachers can struggle to connect without proper induction or understanding.

If you’ve ever tried to teach Year 8 science 300 km from the nearest supermarket with no internet and a borrowed whiteboard — you’ll understand the churn.

How are governments and schools responding?

There have been attempts — some promising, others performative.

State Initiatives

  • NSW and Victoria have introduced sign-on bonuses, scholarships, and fast-tracked pathways to try and attract mid-career professionals and recent graduates.

  • Several states are reducing administrative workloads, or at least committing to audits of what’s being dumped on teachers.

  • National teacher workforce plans were released in late 2023, focused on retention, recruitment, and wellbeing.

Where the gap remains

  • Lack of long-term strategy: Many responses are band-aids, not structural reform.

  • No clear career pathway: Teaching is still seen as a flat profession. Until there's a genuine route for advancement (beyond jumping into management), retention will suffer.

  • Cultural shift is missing: You can’t policy your way out of a perception problem. Until society genuinely respects the craft and complexity of teaching — young people won’t flock to it.

What role does public perception play?

Massive. And largely overlooked.

Ask yourself: When was the last time you saw a teacher in a positive media story? More often, they’re portrayed as over-unionised, underperforming, or always on holiday.

This has consequences.

According to behavioural economist Dan Monheit, how we frame a profession impacts recruitment behaviour. When teaching is framed as low-status or "safe but boring," it creates an anchoring bias — potential recruits compare it to more dynamic or respected fields, and teaching loses out.

Meanwhile, Scandinavian countries like Finland elevate teachers socially and economically. There, teaching is prestigious. Here, it’s a punchline.

Could behavioural nudges help solve the shortage?

They already are — in niche ways.

Some successful experiments include:

  • Mentorship opt-outs: New teachers are automatically assigned experienced mentors unless they opt out (increasing participation by 80%).

  • Placement matching: Aligning practicum students with schools based on values and interests (not just location), improving retention.

  • Simplified accreditation: Streamlining paperwork for casuals converting to permanent roles — nudging action through ease.

But the big wins will come from applying behavioural design at scale. For example, reframing the narrative around teaching — from “overworked and underpaid” to “agents of generational change with real social impact” — could attract idealistic young minds.

And yes, that means marketing teaching like we market startups or sports.

What can we learn from other sectors?

A lot — especially from health, defence, and vocational education.

When faced with shortages, these sectors:

  • Streamline training: Fast-track, hands-on training with job guarantees on completion.

  • Celebrate impact: Campaigns spotlight real-world impact stories — not just job descriptions.

  • Offer micro-credentials: Modular training that allows upskilling without full degrees — ideal for mid-life career switchers.

One clever example comes from aquatics. As swimming instructor shortages hit pools nationwide, several providers rolled out short, practical courses with high employment outcomes. The model worked. Interest spiked — and importantly, people stayed.

It’s a model worth stealing.

FAQ

How bad is the teacher shortage in Australia?
In 2024, over 3,500 teaching roles were unfilled nationwide, with some schools unable to staff key subjects for months at a time.

Are casual teachers filling the gap?
Temporarily, yes. But many casuals report feeling undervalued, disconnected, and reluctant to go permanent due to rigid systems.

Will higher salaries alone fix the issue?
Unlikely. While better pay helps, without addressing respect, workload, and career development — the pipeline will stay dry.

The teacher shortage isn’t just an HR issue — it’s a societal fault line. Fixing it means treating teaching not as a fallback, but as a frontline. And just like other sectors have reinvented their pathways — from swim coaches to medics — perhaps the education system could take a page out of that playbook. In fact, career changers might be surprised by the accessible options out there — some have even explored a swim teacher course as a fresh start that’s rewarding and immediate.

It’s a reminder: when one door slams shut, another might just lead to the pool deck.

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