The Education Policy Institute has warned the country is struggling to recruit and retain enough teachers – particularly in subjects such as science and maths.
The independent think tank found four in ten leave state-funded education after five years of graduating.
Christian and secondary school maths teacher Chris Christodoulou told Premier’s News Hour he wasn’t surprised by the report’s findings but said more pay wasn’t enough to solve the shortage.
“There are so many excellent people out there who can be and become excellent teachers, but the wages are low, the hours are long and when I see new teachers come in, they come in with so much enthusiasm, so much drive and passion for teaching and you look at them and think, by the end of the year, they’ll be burnt out.
“The paperwork and the marking that their managers above them ask them to do which often is just put away in a filing cabinet. It’s not there to raise achievement of the children.
The report also revealed there has been around a ten per cent increase in pupil numbers since 2010, despite teacher numbers remaining steady.
Teacher training applications are down by around five per cent but the Government has insisted recruitment is a top priority.
Listen to Chris Christodoulou speaking with Premier’s Eno Adeogun:
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