Despite the popular impression that being a teacher is all about pleasantries such as longer holidays and shorter working hours, the reality of their situation tells a different story. Teachers are by no means enviable part-timers. In fact they have one of the most taxing jobs of all - particularly in terms of the mental strain that is part and parcel of their profession.
Of course, not every teacher suffers stress. But there is concrete evidence that teaching is one of the most stressful jobs possible. Many surveys assessing the stress levels of various jobs constantly indicate that teaching came out top. In this respect, a critical threshold has evidently been reached. The Potsdam Teachers' Survey which was carried out on behalf and with the assistance of the German Association of Civil Servants and its teaching unions, was designed to help ease the burden on this professional group.
The study was conducted by a team of academics and students from the University of Potsdam's Institute of Psychology. Finally completed in December 2006, the survey was divided into two phases. The first phase comprised a complex analysis of the stress suffered by teachers and the factors responsible. Building on these findings, during the second stage, various measures were tested and ways of supporting teachers devised in order to help reduce the strain they suffer. Some 16,000 teachers from all over Germany took part in the survey along with 2,500 student-teachers and graduates doing practice.
When asked about the most stressful factors, the teachers who took part in the survey listed the conduct of difficult and unmotivated students, large classes, and the high number of lessons taught as the three main source of stress and anxiety states. As a result of this survey, extensive support measures for teachers and head teachers are now being proposed which will improve teachers' health and performance.
According to this study, practical measures and efforts should be directed towards developing a practicable system for determining applicants' suitability before embarking upon a teaching degree (by means of teaching practice before they start studying, along with advice and guidance); increasing the practical relevance of training by introducing more learning by practising behaviour patterns in everyday situations; ensuring an efficient system of medical and psychological supervision for teachers; creating clear structures in schools that promote communication - smaller classes and smaller schools; encouraging effective, qualified head teachers and school management teams with respect to personnel management and development, as well as rearranging work to improve motivation and health.
Some years ago, a similar survey was conducted among Maltese teachers. The results were very similar to the Potsdam survey. The majority of teachers complained of continual change, with frequent and daily demands. A high percentage of teachers, especially those working in primary schools reported that the workload is excessive.
Although the school day may be shorter than most office working days, teachers put in many hours in the evenings and at weekends preparing lesson plans, correcting and marking home-works and organising extracurricular events. Other Maltese teachers complained of pressures of Educational Officers visiting their classrooms.
Another percentage of them said they were not happy to have to provide cover for teacher shortages and absences. Ninety-five per cent of teachers thought that the behaviour of pupils has deteriorated and that the number of disruptive students is on the increase. Teachers also mentioned unnecessary bureaucracy and lack of consultation. Some teachers indicated low self-esteem and lately a good number of teachers have reported that they were harassed by their superiors during the annual assessment of the Performance Management programme.
On the whole the school audits have been rather positive, however some teachers felt that these are causing unnecessary stress from beginning to end. The build-up to an inspection (at the end, this is what it is all about), the visits themselves and the feedback can all pile on pressure.
There seems to be a general feeling from Teachers' Unions throughout that urgent action is needed now to tackle stress in teaching. The MUT did its utmost to convince the government to minimally reduce the working load of teachers and to reduce class-size but to no avail. At least, the MUT managed to convince the authorities in that primary school teachers will, as from the next scholastic year, be able to withdraw from class for an hour and a half a week and be replaced by other teachers. The MUT feels this is not enough but, at least, it is a start.
Finally, the Malta Union of Teachers argues that many pressures on teaching personnel are caused by the way the job is organised. The MUT has, throughout the years, been insisting on removing excessive tasks from heads and teachers. There is an urgent need to improve teachers' "ownership" of their work and self-esteem.
Support staff in Maltese schools still leaves much to be desired. No wonder the MUT has insisted with the government to provide laptops to all teachers in Malta and Gozo to be able to ease their load. Our schools definitely need more support staff, guaranteed teacher time for lesson planning and marking, portfolios, profiling of students and formal assessment of pupils.
The MUT has recently signed a historic agreement with the government to facilitate the implementation of an education reform process for all children to succeed. But this will only happen if the grass-root teacher is respected and supported. It is useless appointing too many chiefs. What takes place in the classroom is what education of children and students is all about.
Mr Bencini is president of the Malta Union of Teachers.