My best friend is a primary school teacher and has been now for over 25 years. I have the utmost respect for teachers and what they put up with. My BF was a dedicated and committed teacher but after 20 years, was getting "burn out" which I am sure most teachers who don't have a break in their career get and combined with that she had a child in her class that was very vindictive towards her. In 20 years she had never encountered a child like that and she had no support from the school and had to have 12 months off to recover. Now my friend is in a school but out of the classroom. I find it really sad that something she loved turned so sour. Teachers have alot to put up with.

Anyway, back to the topic. DD goes to our local public primary school. It is such a fantastic school. I have seen no teachers leave throughout the year, expect for pregnancy. Morale is high and class sizes small. the school is quite large and effectively they employ some almost full time staff as relief teachers so there can be continuity for the kids. For example, they book up these staff to do leave relief weeks ahead so if a teacher has planned leave the kids always get continuity. I know some of these teachers might only get one day off a term so really they are full time employees and they tend to put them in the same year level. DD's class had a bad start to the year as her teacher had a death in the family but they had the same relief teacher and DD still loves her.