Teachers in Australia Are Struggling Under Rising Violence and Overwhelming Workloads
Australia’s public education system has been undergoing a quiet collapse for more than a decade. Despite government reports, ministerial statements and ongoing negotiations with unions, the realities inside classrooms paint a much darker picture. Across the country, the teaching profession is facing one of the most severe crises in its history. Experts warn that the system is no longer supporting teachers but instead has become a structural “harm-producing” environment that endangers their wellbeing.
According to education analyst Trevor Cobbold, author of the 2024 Save Our Schools report, Australian teachers work some of the longest hours among OECD countries and carry one of the heaviest administrative burdens in the world. The most visible face of the crisis is the rise in physical violence. In New South Wales alone, nearly 2,000 teachers were physically assaulted in a single year. Armed incidents have tripled, and police are called to schools an average of 53 times a day.
Beyond physical risks, psychological pressure is intensifying. Experts say the constant threats, loss of control and managerial pressure experienced by teachers produce the same neurobiological effects as “institutional trauma.” Teachers are expected to support students who display violent behaviour while simultaneously facing pressure from school leadership. On top of this, constant scrutiny from the online public and the growing influence of social media add yet another layer of stress.