The proportion of UK teachers who say their workload is “unmanageable” soared between 2020 and 2021, a major teacher wellbeing survey suggests.
The global study from TES included responses from 2,995 UK teachers, of which 424 teachers worked in independent schools.
The UK findings, released today, reveal that 67 per cent of teachers found their workloads unmanageable when the survey was conducted in September 2021, compared to just 22 per cent the year before.
The TES Staff Wellbeing Report says that the workload issue has been exacerbated by inadequate resources and a lack of flexibility, as well as limited opportunities for career development.
Further analysis of the global findings, and details of findings in the independent sector, are expected soon.
Other key findings of the UK part of the study:
- Self-belief among school staff has taken a major blow, with now only 38 per cent of UK respondents saying they feel confident performing their role, compared with 79 per cent last year.
- Almost half of school staff said they feel they don’t have a voice about how things go at their school, and a similar number said they feel they don’t have the autonomy to make decisions. This is particularly true for teaching staff: 57 per cent of teachers and 41 per cent of middle leaders said they lack autonomy.
- 47 per cent of UK respondents said there aren’t opportunities for them to develop in their current position, with only a fifth (22 per cent) feeling that there is.
- School staff are enjoying their work less. More than half of those surveyed said they do not find work fun, with less than a fifth saying that they do (down from 45 per cent last year).
- While 81 per cent of UK respondents said that they get a sense of belonging to a team in their current roles, only two-fifths of those surveyed said they feel that their colleagues care about them. This is a substantial drop year-on-year: in 2020, the majority of respondents (66 per cent) said they felt their colleagues care about them.
Sinéad Mc Brearty, CEO of Education Support, a charity dedicated to supporting the mental health and wellbeing of staff in schools, colleges and universities, said:
“School staff continue to display an incredible capacity for adaptability, focus and resilience. But teachers and other school staff are struggling with heavy and intense workloads. They are struggling with work-life balance and often don’t receive enough of the right support.
“This report sheds light on the severe impact of the pandemic on the teaching profession. Wellbeing has to be at the heart of our education system, and a central part of the education recovery agenda. Proper recognition of the importance of teacher mental health is essential to support the people who are responsible for teaching and inspiring our children.”
Katie Shearer, a principal teacher at St Patrick’s Primary School in Glasgow was featured in the Tes Staff Wellbeing Report. She said:
“The vocational commitment of teachers should not then be used as a vehicle to overwork, guilt trip or compromise teacher mental health. Our commitment to the profession at times can leave us feeling very self-critical, under pressure and trying to manage an overwhelming amount of stress. If practitioners want to be able to make a real difference, our health and wellbeing needs to be a priority, now more than ever.”