Pandemic boosts trust in teachers

The pandemic and its long periods of remote learning has had a positive impact on the nation’s trust in teachers and appreciation of their work.

Recently published Monash University research shows 72 per cent of parents and guardians surveyed trust teachers work in the best interests of their children and 76 per cent understand how much teachers do for a child’s wellbeing.

Global Teacher Prize finalist and Brunswick Secondary College teacher Steven Kolber.Credit:Joe Armao

Researcher and education academic Dr Amanda Heffernan said her team was pleased to see the results after a tough two years for teachers.

“We found that specifically because of COVID people’s perceptions of what teachers do had improved because they’ve seen in detail what’s happened in a classroom,” she said.

“Being able to say to teachers categorically you are trusted and respected by the public and they recognise what you do really matters is really important.”

Brunswick Secondary College teacher Steven Kolber agreed teachers had been receiving positive feedback from parents and carers who were finally getting a glimpse of teachers in action, albeit online.

Mr Kolber was recently a Top 50 finalist in the Global Teacher Prize and said Australian teachers have always had a good reputation internationally.

“In 2015 that award started and I’m the 13th Australian teacher in that six years, so there’s always been a constant churn of Australian teachers through the program; Australia’s doing alright,” he said.

Monash’s nationally representative survey of over 1000 people also found 88 per cent acknowledged the administrative demands on a teacher’s time.

Mr Kolber said while the research results were heartening, proper recognition of teachers had to include a reduction to their excessive workload.

Victorian state school teachers are currently involved in industrial action, which includes a partial ban on answering education department emails and attending meetings, to lobby the Andrews government for improved pay and conditions.

“The industrial action they are taking is designed specifically not to impact on kids and that shows the way teachers think and the work that they do,” Ms Heffernan said.

On World Teacher’s Day last week social media was flooded with messages thanking teachers for their dedication.

Sharron Healy, board chair of the Australian Council of State School Organisations said “this year has once again presented challenges in the delivery of education, with extensive lockdowns, particularly on the east coast â€" and as always our nation’s teachers have met the challenge”.

“Online delivery, anxiety and uncertainty has presented us with many stresses and trials â€" but working together, many of those hurdles were overcome.”

The Monash findings have been released at the same time as new research from the Centre for Independent Studies showing Australian children’s academic skills survived intact through remote learning, another piece of good news for teachers.

Victorian children fared particularly well considering they endured the longest time in lockdown yet gained the best NAPLAN scores in the country.

Lilydale High School principal Wendy Powson said students successfully navigating remote learning could be put down to schools having used technology well pre-pandemic, the resilience of students and parents and the hard and inventive work of teachers.

“The innovations from teachers to be able to deliver to the students has been absolutely phenomenal,” she said.

“It has been a big team effort, everyone’s been amazing.”

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