In schools around the world, a quiet shift is taking place. It’s not a mass resignation. There are no farewell speeches or final lessons. Instead, it’s more subtle. More silent. Teachers are showing up, teaching their lessons, fulfilling their duties—and then going home. No extra clubs. No unpaid meetings. No staying late to mark. This is what’s become known as quiet quitting.
Quiet quitting in education doesn’t mean teachers have stopped caring. It means they’re overwhelmed. Faced with rising demands and diminishing resources, many are drawing clear boundaries. They’re choosing to protect their wellbeing by doing exactly what’s in their contract—nothing more, nothing less.
Why Now?
This isn’t entirely new. Teaching has long been a profession that demands more than it gives. But the COVID-19 pandemic brought simmering issues to a boil.
Remote learning ballooned workloads. Student needs became more complex. Accountability measures intensified. Teachers were hailed as heroes in one breath and buried under administrative tasks the next. It’s no surprise that many began to disengage—not from their students, but from a system that no longer felt sustainable.
In Australia, nearly half of all teachers have considered leaving the profession. Similar trends are playing out globally. Those who stay often find themselves stepping back emotionally, not out of apathy, but as a survival strategy.
What Are the Consequences?
The effects are real. When teachers withdraw, students feel it. Learning becomes less rich. Mentorship fades. The spark that makes school a meaningful place for young people begins to dim.
Teachers feel the cost too. Most entered the profession driven by passion, purpose, and a belief in the power of education. Doing the bare minimum cuts against their identity. It creates a moral tension—between wanting to do more and needing to do less to stay afloat.
And school culture suffers. Collaboration becomes compliance. Staffrooms grow quieter. The energy that fuels innovation and growth begins to stall.
What Can Be Done?
While the symptoms of quiet quitting are serious, so too is the response. Across systems, there is growing recognition that teacher burnout must be addressed—not just managed.
Some schools are redesigning the work itself. Evidence-based practices like explicit instruction and structured curricula are helping reduce teacher workload while improving student outcomes. Others are reallocating time—offering additional planning hours, reducing pointless paperwork, and streamlining meetings.
Wellbeing initiatives are on the rise. From counselling services and peer mentoring to protected non-contact time, these aren’t perks—they’re necessities. Crucially, strong school leadership plays a central role. Principals who listen, adjust expectations, and celebrate staff contributions are helping to turn the tide.
Rethinking the System
If we want to reverse the quiet retreat of teachers, we must look beyond individual interventions. This is about rethinking the system.
We need to redesign accountability models that trust teachers rather than monitor them to exhaustion. We need to strip back administrative burdens that do little to support student learning. We need to raise salaries to reflect the complexity and value of the work. And we must honour the invisible labour that happens outside school hours—lesson planning, emotional support, phone calls home.
At its heart, quiet quitting is a call for respect. It is a reminder that our teachers are not just deliverers of curriculum—they are human beings whose passion fuels the entire education system.
The Way Forward
Re-engaging our teachers will take time. But the path forward is clear. We must value teachers not only in words but in action. That means trusting them, supporting them, and investing in their growth.
When we do, we begin to rebuild a culture where teachers can thrive—not just survive. And in doing so, we ensure better outcomes not only for educators, but for every student in their care.
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