Parent and Student Behaviour Is Becoming a Teacher-Retention Issue

Teacher retention conversations usually begin with workload and pay. Australia’s latest workforce data points to another pressure that is becoming harder to ignore: behaviour.

Among teachers who said they intended to leave the profession before retirement, 48% cited parent behaviour and 47% cited student behaviour in 2024. Both figures increased by five percentage points in a single year. Parent behaviour was particularly prominent among senior leaders, at 58%.

A teacher and students in Sydney. Behaviour and relationships with families are increasingly appearing in Australian teacher-retention data. Image: Adam Jones / Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 2.0.

More than classroom management

These figures should not be read as a complaint about students or families. They are a reminder that schools need clear systems for behaviour, communication and conflict so individual teachers are not left to absorb every difficult interaction on their own.

For school leaders, retention strategies therefore need to include more than salary and wellbeing initiatives. The quality of behavioural support, parent communication and leadership backing can also shape whether teaching remains sustainable.

Read AITSL’s National Trends: Teacher Workforce report