 has called for smaller public school class sizes following the release of new OECD data showing Australian teachers have relatively high teaching loads while average public primary class sizes remain above the OECD average.){kind=link}
The Australian Education Union (AEU) has called for smaller public school class sizes following the release of new OECD data showing Australian teachers have relatively high teaching loads while average public primary class sizes remain above the OECD average.
The OECD’s Education at a Glance 2026 report shows that the number of primary teachers in Australia increased by 17 per cent between 2015 and 2024, while the number of primary students increased by 6 per cent. Across the OECD, primary teacher numbers increased by 13 per cent over the same period, compared with 2 per cent growth in student numbers.
The OECD notes that teacher requirements are not determined by student numbers alone, with differences also reflecting factors such as class sizes, teachers’ working hours and instruction time.
Responding to the report, the AEU said average class sizes in Australian public schools had not changed over the decade covered by the OECD data.
According to the AEU, the average public primary school class size was 23 students in both 2015 and 2024, compared with an OECD average of 21 in both years. Australia had the equal sixth-largest average public primary class sizes among OECD countries in 2024.
For public lower secondary schools, the average class size was 22 students in both 2015 and 2024. In private lower secondary schools, the average fell from 24 students to 19 over the same period.
The AEU said the figures were significant alongside changes in student needs. AEU Federal President Correna Haythorpe pointed to increases in students with disability, mental health and wellbeing needs, learning difficulties and behavioural challenges.
“Smaller class sizes mean more one-on-one support for students leading to higher engagement and fewer behavioural issues,” Ms Haythorpe said.
The AEU called for public primary school class sizes to be reduced to the OECD average of 21 students, arguing that this would increase the support available to students.
The OECD data also shows that Australian teachers have relatively high statutory teaching loads. Primary teachers in Australia had 857 hours of annual teaching time in 2025, compared with an OECD average of 770 hours. For lower secondary teachers, the figures were 841 hours in Australia and 710 hours across the OECD.
The AEU linked the teaching-load figures to ongoing concerns about teacher shortages. It also pointed to OECD data showing that 61 per cent of students in Australian public schools attended schools where principals reported teacher shortages were hindering instruction, compared with 35 per cent of students in private schools.
The OECD report identifies teacher shortages as a major focus of its 2026 analysis. It also found that 16.9 per cent of Australian lower secondary teachers were second-career teachers in 2024, compared with 8.4 per cent across the OECD.
Ms Haythorpe said reducing class sizes, improving teacher salaries and addressing administrative workloads should form part of efforts to recruit and retain teachers.
“As this report states, education systems are only as strong as their teachers,” she said. “Retaining teachers in the profession and increasing recruitment are both essential to end the shortages and give public school systems the capacity to reduce class sizes and improve the one-on-one support students receive.”
More reading: Teacher numbers outpace student growth in Australia: OECD report
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