This week, parents across Australia dropped their kids off at school, entrusting their futures to the teachers in the classroom. I am one of those teachers, an educator who loves teaching and mentoring students at the Sydney high school where I work. I value my role and like to think that society does too.

Unfortunately, it has become a whole lot harder in recent years to remain working and living in Sydney. My wife, a nurse, and I have found ourselves disadvantaged when it comes to buying a home and maintaining a life in Sydney that's even vaguely close to where we work.

Rising house prices have forced key workers out of Sydney's inner city and middle ring suburbs. Credit:Louise Kennerley

A Teachers Mutual Bank and the University of Sydney study into the housing affordability crisis and its impact on key workers has found Sydney's inner and middle ring suburbs are losing this group of workers. My family is an example.

We made the difficult decision last year to leave our network of family and friends and make the move to the uppermost parts of the Central Coast, the closest place we could afford to buy a home big enough for our growing family.