A third of teachers in international schools say their workload is too much for them, a major new survey has found.
A third of staff working in international schools who responded to the Tes School Wellbeing Report survey said that their workload isn’t manageable, well over a quarter said they felt their school was not well-funded and only around half said they felt supported at work.
Almost two fifths (38 per cent) of school staff feel they do not have a voice about how things go in their schools and a third (33 per cent) of respondents do not feel they have the autonomy to make decisions.
The survey of 1485 international school staff comes as concerns increase in schools about staff and leadership wellbeing and the potential for staff burnout.
The TES report also revealed some unexpected findings for teachers in UK independent schools, including the fact that nearly a quarter of the 634 members of staff surveyed are not proud to work at their school.
Despite this, the survey also revealed some positive findings , including a 6 per cent increase in the proportion of international school staff who feel confident performing their roles – to 76 per cent.
And international school teachers are an enthusiastic bunch: Almost four fifths (79 per cent) of respondents said they really throw themselves into their work.
Key findings from the 2023 Tes International School Wellbeing Report include:
- Over three quarters (76 per cent) of international school staff feel confident performing their roles: an increase of 6 per cent from our 2022 survey.
- Three fifths (60 per cent) of international school staff said they are working towards goals that matter to them in their careers.
- Almost three fifths (59 per cent) agree that their school has a vision for the future. This is far greater than the 48 per cent of respondents from UK schools who agreed with the same statement.
- Almost four fifths (79 per cent) of respondents say they really throw themselves into their work.
- Almost four fifths (79 per cent) of respondents say that staff at their school have good relationships with students. This was even higher in the Asia Pacific region, at 82 per cent.
- Only half (52 per cent) of respondents to the survey say they feel supported at work.
- Almost two fifths (38 per cent) of school staff feel they do not have a voice about how things go in their schools. Likewise, a third (33 per cent) of respondents do not feel they have the autonomy to make decisions.
- Less than half (46 per cent) of international school staff told us that their school has invested in staff development.
- For the first time in 2023, the survey asked if staff felt their school is well funded: A total of 52 per cent said that they feel theirs is, although nearly a third (28 per cent) said that they feel theirs isn’t.
- A total of 33 per cent said that their workload wasn’t manageable.
