Teachers are facing “dystopian” levels of work-related stress and cannot go on much longer without reforms to their pay and conditions, a union has warned.
Dr Patrick Roach, general secretary of the NASUWT teaching union, has accused the government of ushering in an era where “teaching is no longer a sustainable way to make a living”.
The union is highlighting its campaign for “a new deal for teachers” in the run-up to the next general election as it meets at its annual conference today in Harrogate.
The NASUWT has been consulting its members in recent weeks to gauge whether they would be interested in taking industrial action on pay, workload, working hours and wellbeing.
Teacher stress
The results of the union’s consultative ballot - on possible industrial action to secure a better deal for teachers - are expected to be announced at the conference over the weekend.
Dr Roach said: “Teachers in the UK are experiencing dystopian levels of workload and work-related stress. They can’t go on much longer without reform to their pay, their workloads, their working hours and their rights at work.”
The union said a better deal for teachers is the only way to solve these issues and make sure pupils receive the highest standard of education possible.
At the union’s annual conference, NASUWT members will vote on a motion welcoming the work of the union’s executive to lobby political parties to secure a new deal for teachers in the run-up to the next general election.
It said this new deal would involve pay restoration for teachers and a national framework of statutory, contractual conditions of service for all teachers and headteachers, including a maximum 35-hour working time limit.
The union is also calling for stronger rights to tackle violence, assault or harassment of teachers from pupils and parents.
Dr Roach said 40 per cent of teachers have told NASUWT in a poll that they are working more than 50 hours a week. Just 10 per cent told the union their workload is manageable.
In NASUWT’s survey of teachers, nearly 90 per cent also said they were worried about their financial situation and more than one-fifth were struggling to afford their pensions.
”This government has ushered in an era where teaching is no longer a sustainable way to make a living and build a career,” said Dr Roach.
The Department for Education has recommended to the School Teachers’ Review Body that the teacher pay increase should be lower than previous years this year.
Analysis from the Institute for Fiscal Studies found this week that teachers’ pay has seen a bigger fall in real terms than the public sector as a whole since 2010.
Recruitment and retention crisis
This is amid a spiralling recruitment and retention crisis. In 2021-22, 43,997 teachers left the state sector, the highest rate in the last four years.
The latest DfE data also found that 12.8 per cent of new teachers left the sector after one year over the same time period.
NASUWT also found in their poll that 73 per cent of teachers have considered leaving their current job.
Dr Roach said: ”The DfE says it wants to build a world-class education system. That will require world-class working conditions for teachers.
“Our members will keep demanding a better deal for as long as it takes.”
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