Why are teachers quitting in record numbers? | TV Shows

On Tuesday, March 8 at 19:30 GMT:
Schools have been the most polarised and politicised spaces during the coronavirus pandemic. But as many schools settle into relatively normal routines in the third year of the COVID era, growing numbers of teachers are finding their profession intolerable.

A recent poll from the National Education Association, the largest educators union representing nearly 3 million people in the US, found that 90 percent of its members are facing serious burnout. More than half of all teachers polled say they will leave the profession earlier than they had planned.

And it’s the same story all over the world.

In Ireland, the Irish National Teachers’ Organisation warns that record numbers of teachers are under serious stress. Research in Australia and New Zealand highlights a major shortage of teachers, with few new entrants to education professions.

Heavy workloads, poor pay and benefits, and a lack of work-life balance are among the reasons why teachers are leaving careers early and once-prospective educators are opting out altogether. In India, the education system has long grappled with issues of access, gaps in learning, poor infrastructure and a reported shortage of nearly one million teachers. Those challenges are being exacerbated by one of the longest coronavirus-related school closures in the world.

In this episode of The Stream, we’ll talk to three teachers about the major issues they face, and ask what support they need.

In this episode of The Stream, we are joined by:
Simona Muniz
Albuquerque Public School teacher

Rubina Majid
CEO, Learning Resource Center

Lydia Nyakaza
Teacher, Usasazo High School