The “devastating toll” that mental health absence is taking on Scottish schools and nurseries has been highlighted by data showing the number of staff days lost since 2018-19, the last year before the pandemic.
The figures once again show the workload burden and pressure that Scottish teachers and support staff are under.
The number of days lost to mental ill health rose by 57 per cent between 2018-19 and 2022-23, going from 172,690 to 271,427.
This latest data is based on information from 27 of Scotland’s 32 local authorities.
The figures, uncovered by the Scottish Liberal Democrats using freedom of information legislation, show that between 2018 and 2022 school and nursery staff were absent for over 1 million days due to mental health issues. This equates to more than 2,907 years.
Glasgow, the biggest local authority in Scotland, had the highest number of staff days lost in 2022-23, with 37,474. This was followed by Inverclyde, with 28,091 days.
Fears for school staff mental health
Inverclyde is one of the smallest local authorities in Scotland. Only one mainland council, Clackmannanshire, has fewer teachers working in its schools and nurseries, according to the 2023 teacher census.
Liberal Democrat education spokesperson Willie Rennie said: “These alarming figures expose the devastating toll of mental health absences across our schools and nurseries.”
He called for the government “to stop asking our education staff to perform miracles and finally give them the support and resources they need to deliver the very best for children”.
He said the Liberal Democrats would “invest in education” by enhancing “pupil equity funding” and ensuring that teachers are given proper stable contracts.
Scotland’s largest teaching union told the United Nations high-level panel on the teaching profession last year that Scottish teachers were overworked and underpaid.
A survey by the union, published in May last year, revealed that barely any teachers managed to do their job inside contracted hours, and 41 per cent worked more than eight extra hours - more than one extra full day of work unpaid each week.
The SNP pledged in its 2021 manifesto for the Scottish Parliament elections that it would cut class-contact time by 90 minutes a week, but the promise has not been delivered. This week education secretary Jenny Gilruth said the pledge would not be delivered in 2024-25, although she said she hoped to make progress.
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