John MacDonald: Here's why we have a teacher shortage

Do you know who’s to blame for the high school teacher shortage we’re hearing about today?

You are.

I am, as well. We’re both to blame.

Because, whether you’re a parent or not, we have done an absolutely brilliant job of putting people off wanting to become a teacher.

And it’s a weird mix of us doing too much of some stuff and too little of other stuff. And the outcome is 346 full-time vacancies unfilled just weeks out from the new school year.

Now I know you might be thinking "oh yeah, we hear this every year from the unions. They take every opportunity to bang on about needing more pay, more resources blah blah blah.”

But it’s not just the unions speaking out.

There’s a principal in the news saying that in the 16 years he’s been in the job, there’s only been one where he’s started the year without enough teachers.

Looks like this could be his second.  

So why am I putting the blame on us? Because that’s not what the unions are saying. It’s certainly not what the government is saying, either. As if they would. So why am I saying it?

I’m saying it because parents - and I’m one of them (our three are in their early 20s now) but, yep, I know I’ve been guilty over the years of poking my nose in - probably a bit too much.

Not as badly as other parents - but I’m guilty.

And what we’ve done in the process, is we have piled so many expectations and pressure on teachers that we are driving them nuts.

We think that we deserve one-on-one time with them whenever we want it.

So much so, that some schools have had to put a ban on parents barging into the classroom before or after school to “have a word”.

We’ve been banging on the door, writing emails. The way some parents behave, you could describe it as harassment of teachers.

This is the part of my argument where we have done “too much”, and it's part of the reason why I think we have to carry the blame for people not wanting to be teachers.

Another part of my “too much” argument is the expectations we have placed on teachers and schools to provide not just an education but full-scale social services.

As well as all the moaning about all the holidays they, supposedly, get - and let’s not forget all the tut-tutting over the keep cups about teacher-only days.

Who would want to be a teacher with all that going on? Not me.

As for the “too little” bit —this is where you and I have put people off wanting to be teachers by not doing enough— this is all about our lack of support and advocacy for teachers.

And this is broad. At one end, you’ve got the way people are always far too busy to put their hand up to help out with anything at school.

You’ll know as much as I do that the ones who do are always the same faces, and they get sick of it eventually.

At the other end —on a broader level— we have done an absolutely hopeless job of standing up for our teachers.

And there is an absolutely prime example.

We have quietly sat-by and allowed to happen what I think is the most damaging thing that’s ever been done to our education system - the modern learning environment.

The modern learning environment has been —in my opinion— an absolute disaster. And you and I - we’ve allowed it to happen.

It gets moaned about, but no one ever takes it to the next level.

The fact that teachers have been forced to teach kids in these barn-like settings with tents and bean bags and noise. Again, who would want to be a teacher in that kind of set-up?

I wouldn’t! 

But we have allowed the Ministry of Education to force these monstrosities on schools. Sure, we might have had a rant about it to our mates - but that’s all we’ve done. And by stopping there, we have let teachers down big-time.

And by letting teachers down big time by not advocating for them as much as we should —and by placing such unrealistic expectations on them— by doing too much of some stuff and not enough of other stuff - we have done a first-class job of telling people to forget about being teachers.  

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Episode Transcript

Speaker 1 (00:06):
You're listening to the Kerry Wood of Morning's podcast from
News Talks.

Speaker 2 (00:10):
He'd be.

Speaker 1 (00:12):
Got a question for you. Do you know who's to blame?
Do you know who's to blame for the teacher shortage
we're hearing about today? You are, I am as well.
We're both to blame because whether you're a parent or not,
we have done an absolutely brilliant job of putting people

(00:33):
off wanting to become a teacher. And it's a weird
mix of us doing too much of some stuff and
too little of other stuff, and the outcome is what
you might have heard Kate Gainsford from the Secondary Principals
Council talking to Ryan about a couple of hours ago
three hundred and forty six full time vacancies being advertised
just weeks from the new school year.

Speaker 2 (00:55):
Historically, there's been sort of ebbs and flows of the
types of teachers, and we have seen in the past
shortages of maths and science and technology and teachers Ofterdeale,
but what we're seeing now is much more widespread than that.
With in the secondary schools across the board, English, physical education,

(01:16):
the lot. Now.

Speaker 1 (01:17):
I know you might be thinking, oh, yeah, yeah, we
hear this every year from the unions. You know, every
year they take every opportunity to bang on about needing
more pay, more resources, blah blah blah blah. It's differences.
Is not just the union speaking out. There's a principle
in the news. He's saying that in the sixteen years
he's been in the job, there's only been one where

(01:38):
he started the year without enough teachers. This looks like
this year could be his second. So why am I
putting the blame on us? Why am I putting the
blame on you? Why am I putting the blame on me?
It's well, I mean, the unions aren't doing that, are they?
And the government's not either, as if they would. But

(01:59):
why am I saying it? Well, I'm saying it because parents,
and I'm one of them. Our three are in the
early twenties now. But look, I know that I've been
guilty over the years of poking my nose in probably
a bit too much, not as badly as other parents,
But I'm guilty. You don't even even need to accuse

(02:19):
me of it. I'm saying I'm guilty. And what we've
done in the process is we have piled so much
expectations and pressure on teachers that we are driving them nuts.
We think that we deserve one on one time with them,
you know, whenever we want, so much so that some
schools have had put a ban on parents barging into

(02:39):
the classroom before or after school to you know, have
a word. Can I just have a word? We've been
banging on the door, writing emails all hours of the day, night,
the way some parents behave you could describe it as
harassment of teachers. And this is the part of my
argument where we have done too much and part of

(03:01):
the reason why I think we have to carry the
blame for people not wanting to be teachers. Another part
of my too much argument is the expectations we've placed
on teachers and schools to provide not just an education,
but full scale social services. As well as all the
moaning about all the holidays they supposedly get, oh you
get twelve weeks a year, and let's not forget all

(03:23):
the tuck tarting over the keep cups about teacher only days.
Who would want to be a teacher with all that
going on? Not me, think you? As for the too
little bit, this is where you and I have put
people off wanting to be teachers by not doing enough.
This is all about our lack of support and advocacy

(03:46):
for teachers. And this is broad, this one. I mean,
at one end, you've got the way people are always
far too busy to put their hands up to help
out with anything at school. Well, teachers will do it.
I mean, you'll know as much as I do that
the ones who do put their hands up, they're always
the same faces, always the same people, but they get
sick of it eventually. At the other end, on a

(04:08):
broader level, we have done an absolutely hopeless job of
standing up for our teachers. And there is an absolutely
prime example I can give you. We have quietly sat
by and allowed to happen what I think is the
most damaging thing that's ever been done to our education system,
the most damaging thing. You know what? That is the

(04:29):
modern learning environment. The modern learning environment, in my opinion anyway,
has been an absolute disaster. And you and I we
have allowed that to happen. I mean, I know it
gets moaned about, but no one ever takes at next level,
do they the fact that teachers have been forced to

(04:49):
teach kids in these barn like settings with tents and
bean bags and cheap is all the noise? Again, Who
would want to be a teacher and that kind of setup?
I wouldn't, But you and I we have allowed the
Ministry of Education to force these monstrosities on schools. Sure
we might have had a rant about it to our mates,
but that's all we've done. Might have rung up talk

(05:11):
back about it, That's all we've done. And by stopping there,
we have let teachers down big time, all of us
I have. And by letting teachers down big time by
not advocating for them as much as we should, and
by placing such unrealistic expectations on them, by doing too

(05:32):
much of some stuff and not enough of other stuff,
we have done a first class job of telling people
you should forget about being a teacher. And that's why
we have a shortage. Am I on the Money or not?

Speaker 2 (05:48):
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