Aker from the Geish of Freemantle, Comment 81 of 97, Special Report: Teachers reveal why they walked, Yasmine Phillips, Education reporter, Perth Now, 19 February 2011: http://www.perthnow.com.au/news/western-australia/special-report-teachers-reveal-why-they-walked/comments-e6frg13u-1226008656772 Historical link preserved from the original page.
West Australian high school teacher: My GP advised me that I would die of stress if I did not walk away from my teaching career. Historical link preserved from the original page.
I walked out of a teaching job at a West Australian public high school last year. Historical link preserved from the original page.
My GP told me that I would die from stress related problems very soon if I didn't.
Why was I stressed?
Struggling against bad behaviour, bad attitude, impossible parents who sincerely believe that as long as their child is "happy", everything is fine.
Being told to get F.. D on a daily basis, told that I chose the job of teaching so just get on with it, my darling child does not have a problem, you do.
Told by kids that "my uncle earns twice what you do, and he left school at 14 and drives a truck on the mines so what use is school?
And then the political interference from incompetants who have never taught, and an Education Dept staffed by people who were often no good in a classroom and fled to Siver City.
Don't even mention WACOT - their main success has been to aggressively defend their fat cat existance against all comers.
Yes, I loved the bit when the kids grasped a new concept, it's why I became a teacher in the first place, but the rest is too hard.
My own kids will NEVER become teachers.