The Australian Education Union’s 2016 State of Our Schools survey revealed that 77 per cent of Australian teachers reported an increase in their workload this year.

In Tasmania, almost all teachers have reported an increase in their workload over the past decade, according to the union’s state branch. 

Tasmanian Education Union president Helen Richardson said some teachers worked up to 12 hours a day and school holidays were often spent writing reports. 

“The reason that our kids are still getting a really great education is because, despite the fact that we do have increased class sizes, there’s more administrative tasks and they deal with kids with high and complex needs, teachers are working harder,” Ms Richardson said. 

“[Teachers] are doing an amazing job and they want to give kids that one-on-one – that extra support.

“Our teachers spend a lot of time planning for individual students … it’s good because you get great outcomes, but it all takes time.” 

Tasmanian Association of State School Organisations president Ant Dry said that, anecdotally, he had heard that teachers were working under increasing workloads.

“Should this be the case, we deplore it,” Mr Dry said.

“Our teachers are too valuable to our schools and to our students for them to be placed under unfair stress, and we would urge that this matter be investigated as a matter of urgency.”