THE first week of the Easter holidays is well underway and the last thing on most people's minds is sympathy for all those lucky teachers who can put their feet up for a couple of weeks.
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So here we are, another two weeks off when for many parents it feels as though it was only a few weeks ago that they were getting the kids ready to go back to school after the summer break.
Many would argue that teachers have it too easy, getting all those holidays as well as regular pupil-free days and this is an attitude that educators find frustrating.
Fewer students are choosing teaching as a first preference when applying for university and last year there was a 26 per cent overall drop in Queensland. More teachers are walking away from the profession within five years of starting and there are those who have been teaching their whole lives now yearning for retirement.
It seems the prospect of extra holidays is not so attractive any more, with surveys showing that teachers choosing to give up on their careers commonly cite heavy workload as a major factor in their decision to quit.
Gone are the days when teachers provided education in reading, writing and arithmetic. Today's primary school educators are tasked with helping students develop social skills from basic manners to personal hygiene.
Teachers are expected to prepare students for standardised tests like NAPLAN, adhere to strict curriculum and reporting guidelines, keep up with technology while also finding the time and energy to tailor their lessons to the children in their charge.
They have to do all this while remaining sensitive to gender, ethnicity, religious and socio-economic issues that might influence their teaching methods.
Australian class numbers are capped at 30 students or less, while in countries like Finland where teacher retention rates are up to 90 per cent, classrooms have room for only 20 students.
Teaching was once seen as a noble profession, given that teachers were involved in the shaping of young minds and steering the next generation towards greatness. Today, teachers say they are devalued, treated with disrespect and often the targets of public scorn.
If teaching is just about behaviour management, data collection and classroom mediation, it is little wonder that those who could make a real difference are not lining up for the job.
