WA’S TEACHER SHORTAGE CONFIRMED AS THE WORST IN AUSTRALIA

New national data has confirmed Western Australia public primary school teachers are carrying the heaviest workload in the country, with the worst ratio of students to teachers of any state or territory.
The Productivity Commission’s latest Report on Government Services shows WA public primary schools recorded Australia’s worst student-to-teaching staff ratio in 2025, with 15.2 students,well above the national average of 13.7.

WA public high schools also performed poorly, recorded the second worst ratio in the country at 12.8 students per teacher, compared to the national average of 12.

Since 2017, the gap between WA primary schools and the national average has more than doubled, while WA secondary schools have gone from being broadly in line with the rest of the country to among the worst in Australia.

Shadow Education Minister Liam Staltari said the data confirmed what teachers, parents and principals had been saying for years.

“WA simply does not have enough teachers, and these figures prove it.

“Teachers are being asked to do more with less, and Western Australia now has the moststretched primary school teachers in the nation.

“After almost a decade in government, Labor cannot keep claiming teacher shortages aresomebody else’s problem. This has happened on their watch.

”Mr Staltari said the figures came amid rising concerns about teacher burnout, workload pressures and staff retention.

“In the past six years, teacher resignations have surged 120 per cent. Too many teachers, especially experienced teachers, are leaving because the pressures keep growing and the support is not there,” he said.

“Recruitment is important, but retention is a huge challenge. Unless we keep experienced teachers in our classrooms, these shortages will continue to worsen.

“This should be a wake-up call for the Cook Labor Government. West Australian students deserve better and our teachers deserve a system that supports them to stay in the profession for the long term.”

Media Contact: Graham Mason – 0419 194 792

Full report: https://www.pc.gov.au/ongoing/report-on-government-services/child-careeducation-and-training/school-education/