Almost half of state school teachers in England say they will not be working in education in the next five years, the TES reports.
The National Education Union’’s latest annual survey of 1,788 members revealed that 44 per cent plan to leave within five years, with 22 per cent intending to leave within two years.
The numbers actually represent an improvement on pre-pandemic levels in 2019, when 51 per cent said they planned to leave within five years and 21 per cent within two.
Official figures show that the two-year retention rate after qualifying is 80.5 per cent. A worrying 41 per cent of newly qualified teachers leave within 10 years.
When asked, workload was the overwhelming motivation for the majority of teachers intending to leave.
Teachers also expressed concerns about being undervalued and untrusted by the government and media. Accountability and pay were also sticking points.
Looking at wellbeing, two-thirds of those in state-funded schools in England said they feel stressed at least 60 per cent of the time.
Dr Mary Bousted, joint general secretary of the NEU, said the situation was “unsustainable”
She said: “Let us be in no doubt. Teaching is a great and fulfilling job, and people go into the profession because they want to make a difference.
“Yet the government makes this more difficult, and if we are to collectively do the right thing for young people then we must be able to deliver the education they deserve. That change must come from the top.”
A Department for Education spokesperson said that teaching remained “an attractive and fulfilling profession” and the number of teachers in “schools remains high”.