Over 30 per cent of teachers stressed most of the time

The National Education Union (NEU), in anticipation of their Annual Conference in Harrogate, conducted a survey of over 14,000 teachers in English state schools on the levels of stress they experienced in the workplace.

The NEU found that teachers are stressed at work a majority of the time, with 62 per cent feeling stressed more than 60 per cent of the time. 33 per cent of teachers report feeling stressed at work 80 per cent or more of the time.

Female teachers are associated with the higher levels of stress (65 per cent compared to 54 per cent among men), and is particularly strongly felt by teachers working in primary schools and nurseries (65 per cent).

Younger teachers are the most stressed, with 65 per cent of those in their twenties or thirties reporting feeling stressed at work more than 60 per cent of the time.

75 per cent of respondents stated that they frequently found it difficult to switch-off from work when at home, and 41 per cent said this was ‘always’ the case.

These statistics show that stress is a major factor in working as a teacher in an English state school, with only 1.5 per cent of teachers unaffected by stress so much so that they ‘haven’t thought about it’ at any time.

As for work-life balance, three quarters of respondents are regularly unable to switch off from work when at home. For 41 per cent, this is always the case.

62 per cent of respondents regularly work during their weekends, with 31 per cent ‘always’ dealing with work during their school holidays. Only 9 per cent have a complete break.

On this survey’s findings, Daniel Kebede, general secretary of the NEU, said: “Teachers have no hesitation in doing their utmost for pupils. It is a vocation and a profession that takes pride in delivering the best for young people. But we have to face up to the immense toll this takes on teachers every day.

“It cannot be right that we have a working culture which invades every aspect of a teacher’s life. The government’s own figures show that working hours are out of hand and they are getting worse.

“Leaders are forced to stretch staff ever more and the persistent problems with recruitment and retention compound the problem. Our members are working long hours in the knowledge there is no army of new colleagues riding to the rescue.

“Underfunding of schools and colleges is at the heart of the problem but so is the undervaluing of teachers and support staff. We need to see a major pay correction not only to attract more into the profession, but also to keep them. It is short-sighted of any government to continue to ignore the root-and-branch solutions that are so obviously needed.”