Teacher Workload Grows, Compromising Teaching Quality

The noble profession of teaching is increasingly burdened by an endless list of tasks beyond classroom instruction. Teachers are swamped with administrative duties, government initiatives, regular reports, and additional school responsibilities, leading to a constant rise in their workload. Ironically, as the public expects better educational outcomes, teachers find their most valuable preparation time consumed by these non-teaching duties.

This situation should serve as a critical warning. While teachers are expected to be professional, true professionalism cannot be built on ever-increasing, uncalculated burdens. Educators need space to think, design lessons, understand student characters, and evaluate learning. When most of their energy is spent on administrative matters, the quality of education inevitably suffers.

The current conditions highlight a failure in implementing the Quality of Work Life (QWL) concept in education. QWL emphasizes productive work within a healthy, fair, and humane environment. However, many teachers face the opposite: mounting administrative demands, time-consuming programs like the Free Nutritious Meal (MBG) initiative, complex workload regulations, and unresolved issues of welfare and resource scarcity.

The most direct impact is on teaching quality. Preparing engaging materials, providing feedback on student work, and developing personalized approaches for diverse learners all require significant time. This becomes nearly impossible when teachers are constantly shifting between report submissions. Consequently, learning risks becoming a mere routine of meeting curriculum targets rather than a process fostering genuine student development.

Furthermore, burnout and stress are on the rise. Many teachers take work home, unable to complete tasks during work hours. Weekends, meant for rest, are often used for administrative catch-up. This erodes physical and mental health and reduces family time. Long-term disruption of work-life balance makes it difficult for teachers to maintain positive energy in the classroom. The welfare crisis is also undeniable, as increased workloads are not always matched by improved incentives.