The Department of Education’s 2024-25 annual report shows teacher resignations hit concerning five-year high

WA’s public schools are facing a deepening crisis as new data revealed a record number of teachers are abandoning the profession, with resignations more than doubling in the past five years.

The Department of Education’s 2024-25 annual report, released this week, shows a staggering 1279 teachers quit in 2024, a sharp increase from 598 in 2020.

The troubling figures show a five-year high, sparking serious concerns about the state of the public education system.

State School Teachers’ Union WA president Matt Jarman said the numbers were “sadly unsurprising” and that the number one reason teachers are quitting is because of the workload they describe as “uncontrollable and unmanageable”.

“The reality of the workload in schools is now driving people out of the profession,” he said.

The demands on teachers now extend far beyond the classroom, with staff being forced to act as de facto social workers and parent liaison officers.

“It’s the school trying to deliver services that they’re simply not resourced for,” Mr Jarman said.

The services he is referring to include managing complex student behaviours and liaising with therapists, all of which fall to classroom teachers who are already struggling to balance their core teaching duties.

Mr Jarman said the issue isn’t that new teachers are underprepared, noting that initial teacher education courses are more comprehensive than ever before.

The issue is not just affecting young graduates, with Mr Jarman having observed teachers now retiring in their 50s instead of their early 60s.

“We’re not able to retain the most experienced teachers,” he said.

“It is all workload at either end of the age spectrum.”

Mr Jarman said experienced teachers leaving earlier exacerbates the issue for struggling graduates.

“The loss of these experienced mentors, who often support younger teachers, is having a devastating knock-on effect,” he said.

“It means that they don’t have as much advice helping them to cope with the initial workload and then it obviously for some it means that the workload becomes overwhelming and they simply leave which is a tragedy for the profession.”

Mr Jarman said the only way the situation will improve is if the focus shifts to retaining experienced staff and convincing new teachers to stay.

Mr Jarman said the breaks teachers get throughout the year were often filled with professional learning courses and other school-related work, not leisurely holidays.

“School leaders and teachers are working more and more and have been for many, many years now over the school breaks,” he said.

“It doesn’t respect the hectic nature of the school term.

“It’s not a balanced lifestyle at all.”

Shadow education minister Liam Staltari also said the figures match the first-hand feedback he receives from teachers across WA.

“In the last six years, teacher resignations have surged by 120 per cent,” he said.

“Rising violence, burnout, stress and strain are clearly taking their toll.

“Staff and students are bearing the brunt of a Labor Government focused on the wrong priorities.”

Education Minister Sabine Winton said supporting the teaching workforce is one of her “key priorities”.

“It is important to note that teacher resignations have remained relatively stable over the past few years, while the overall public school teaching workforce has grown to almost 25,600,” she said.

“There is always more work to do, which is why we continue to explore new ways to support our teachers and school leaders, and attract more people to the profession.”

The report also revealed the department fell short on crucial metrics, as only three of seven effectiveness indicators reached their targets.

Student participation, Year 7 to 12 retention, and Year 9 reading and numeracy proficiency were the three indicators to reach their target.

Targets were not met for the number of students achieving their WA Certificate of Education. Reading and numeracy targets for Years 3, 5, and 7 also weren’t achieved.