Love For The Job Tainted By Having To Work Long Hours
The Age
Monday June 2, 2003
There are days when Diamond Valley College teacher Sarah Parr gets to school about 7.30 in the morning, leaves at 7pm and then spends several hours at home correcting students' work or preparing curriculums.
The 26-year-old has been working as a teacher for only two years, but already has the senior role of year 7 co-ordinator, as well as teaching English and psychology across years 7, 11 and 12. Ms Parr loves her job but admits that the increasing workload and the time it takes away from her personal life are starting to take its toll.
``I love the job, the students, and being able to deliver a curriculum that I find interesting," Ms Parr said. ``But I have to say that the workload at the moment is phenomenal and the impact that it is having on my life and being able to catch up with family or friends is really making me question whether I want to keep doing it."
Ms Parr says she is considering leaving teaching some time next year, perhaps to travel or work in another industry for a short while.
She is representative of the growing number of Victorian teachers who no longer intend to remain in public schools for longer than 10 years.
She said the Government needed to decrease the amount of administrative tasks
for new teachers.
VCE STUDENTS WHERE ARE THEY NOW?
HIGHEST NUMBER AT UNIVERSITY %
1. Macrobertson Girls High School (Melbourne) 94
2. Melbourne High School (South Yarra) 92
3. Ivanhoe Girls Grammar School 90
4. Presbyterian Ladies' College (Burwood) 89
5. Loreto Mandeville Hall (Toorak) 88
HIGHEST NUMBER AT TAFE/VET %
1. Roxburg College (Broadmeadows) 63
2. Moreland City College (Coburb) 62
3. Preston Girls Secondary College; Reservoir District Secondary College
58
4. Lakeside Secondary College (Reservoir) 56
5. Peter Lalor Secondary College (Lalor) 55
HIGHEST NUMBER IN APPRENTICESHIPS OR TRAINEESHIPS %
1. Heywood and District Secondary College 29
2. Beaufort Secondary College, Euroa Secondary College
26
3. Mercy Regional College (Camperdown) 24
4. Bright P-12 College; Good Shepherd College (Hamilton); Koo Wee Rup Secondary
College 22
5. Hill Crest Christian College (Ayr Hill); Kerang Technical Highschool
21
HIGHEST NUMBER EMPLOYED %
1. Rutherglen High School 62
2. Ovens College (Wangaratta) 58
3. Healesville High School 52
4. Distance Education Centre Victoria (Thornbury); Warragul Regional College
50
5. Rosebud Secondary College; Seymour Technical High School 48
HIGHEST NUMBER UNEMPLOYED %
1. Doveton Secondary College 36
2. Erinbank Secondary College (Westmeadows) 33
3. King Khalid Islamic College (Coburg)
26
4. Kealba Secondary College 24
5. La Trobe Secondary College (Macleod) 22
Source: On Track survey data 2003 Victorian Government.
© 2003 The Age