UK teachers ‘off sick with pressure’

The pressures of school life are forcing many teachers to visit the doctor and take time off sick, a UK survey suggests.

The demands and pressures on those working in schools and colleges are escalating

An increasing workload, long hours and inspections are damaging teachers’ health, according to a poll by the Association of Teachers and Lecturers (ATL).

It found that a quarter of those questioned (25 per cent) said their current job had led to them taking sick leave from work, while two in five (40 per cent) had visited the doctor.

Three in five (60 per cent) of the school staff questioned said they had thought about changing jobs, while a similar proportion (58 per cent) admitted they had considered leaving the profession.

One further education tutor in South Yorkshire told the survey: “I suffered a nervous breakdown due to pressures within work and was off for six months.

“Unfortunately the workload pressure and the over-critical atmosphere has not altered. All staff are jumpy and waiting for the next put-down.”

And a primary school teacher from Manchester said: “I would like to go to the GP but I am worried about taking time off due to the lack of empathy from senior staff on my return.”

The poll questioned nearly 1,300 people working in state and private schools and colleges in the UK.

It comes as ATL is expected to debate a motion at its annual conference in Manchester on the effects of heavy workloads.

The resolution warns that workload is causing a rise in stress-related illnesses among school staff, and calls on ATL’s executive committee to investigate the extent to which workloads are increasing and why.

ATL’s poll reveals that nearly three quarters (73 per cent) of those surveyed said their job is having a negative effect on their health and well-being, while 64 per cent said it is damaging their professional abilities and 62 per cent said it is affecting their relationships with family and friends.

Asked specifically what it was in their job that was causing problems, the most common answer was workload, chosen by 84 per cent, followed by long hours (69 per cent), pressure of inspections (47 per cent) and meeting targets (43 per cent).

Nearly eight in 10 (79 per cent) said their workload has increased in the past two years, with half of those surveyed saying they work 50 hours or more a week.

ATL general secretary Dr Mary Bousted said: “The demands and pressures on those working in schools and colleges are escalating.

“It is not surprising that so many teachers and lecturers are considering leaving the profession and it is particularly concerning that so many newly qualified teachers are unhappy; this does not bode well for the profession.

“They are having to cope with endless Government initiatives, Ofsted inspections, pressure from parents, schools and colleges to get pupils through tests. The 35-hour week simply does not exist for teachers.