industry & reform
Without a net
They know that their continued employment comes down to impressing those around them .
New study reveals the pressure felt by temporary teachers .
By Wade Zaglas
New research has revealed that teachers on short-term contracts are experiencing poorer job quality and feel under constant pressure to compete with colleagues to maintain employment .
The study , which was led by UNSW Sydney , was co-authored by education experts from the University of Sydney , University of Technology Sydney and Curtin University .
One of the key findings of the study ( which was based on a state-wide survey of teachers with the help of the NSW Teachers ’ Federation ) was that , although temporary teachers had a similar workload to that of permanent staff , they felt they must work much harder than their permanent counterparts and “ prove themselves ” to remain employed .
“ There ’ s an unspoken pressure on temporary teachers to ‘ do more ’ to increase their chance of getting more work ,” UNSW School of Education ’ s Dr Meghan Stacey said .
“ They feel they have to jump through extra hoops or take on extra work just to have their contracts renewed or to be considered for a permanent position .” Many of the respondents ’ replies provide insights into how competitive and precarious employment feels for temporary teachers .
“ There is a huge expectation that teachers put their hand up for extra roles
… which adds to the pressure teachers ( particularly temp teachers as we do more ) feel ,” one participant responded .
On the other hand , respondents who were already permanent felt no pressure “ to go above and beyond ” in their roles . As one respondent said , “ two permanent teachers have even stated , ‘ I don ’ t have to do anything else , I am already permanent .’”
Fixed-term contract work is becoming more common in the teaching profession , while permanent positions are quickly disappearing . The report ’ s authors state that roughly 20 per cent of teachers in the NSW public school sector are in temporary positions . It ’ s also worth noting that many of them are in the beginning stages of their careers .
“ Temporary teaching work is not like casual work – the hours and demands are considerably higher ,” Stacey said .
“ There ’ s a frustration because they ’ re essentially doing the same work as permanent teachers , just without any security .”
Not only did the survey reveal temporary teachers felt that gaining permanency was “ awarded based on perception rather than merit ”, others felt exploited .
Some respondents described permanent teachers as “ prey [ ing ]” on temporary teachers by “ shift [ ing ] work ” to them and having to “ take whatever is handed to you ”.
“ They know that their continued employment comes down to impressing those around them , particularly the school principal ,” Stacey said .
“ The uncertainty , and that sense of being undervalued , can be quite demoralising .
“ It can also have a scarring effect for job prospects , not only on wages via promotion opportunities , but also professional development opportunities .”
Study co-author Associate Professor Rachel Wilson from the University of Sydney said : “ Comparable to permanent teachers , 70 per cent of temporary teachers reported their employer ‘ always ’ requires them to ‘ work very hard ’. This contrasts with a lower rate of casual teachers reporting this circumstance .
“ A majority of temporary teachers further reported never or rarely having enough time to complete work tasks .
“ Despite their workload similarities , teachers in temporary positions feel they work harder than permanent teachers .”
THE GENDER DIMENSION AND FUTURE IMPLICATIONS The researchers also found that women are more likely to be on short-term contracts than men , although the study also found that 27 per cent of teachers choose temporary employment . Women may also remain on temporary contracts longer than men , resulting in potential implications for their career development and opportunities to gain leadership positions in the future .
“ Teaching is a cognitively , emotionally and physically strenuous job and has historically relied upon its reputation as a secure , permanent and stable career to attract strong candidates to the profession ,” Wilson said .
“ As pay rates are notably low compared to other professions requiring equivalent levels of education , addressing problems with job security , workload and work conditions has become even more critical .”
Lead author Dr Meghan Stacey echoed Wilson ’ s sentiments about the importance of fixing the current system .
“ New teachers working in today ’ s classrooms are tomorrow ’ s leaders , and we must do better to look after them and the future of public education .” ■
12 | educationreview . com . au