The Scottish education system is “on the verge of a crisis”, says the new president of a Scottish teaching union, who is also warning that teachers are likely to “leave in droves” as a result of increased pressure since the Covid crisis began.
At the weekend Bernadette Easton, a primary teacher from Kirkcaldy in Fife, told the NASUWT Scotland’s virtual annual conference: “Scottish education is on the verge of a crisis.”
The new NASUWT Scotland president said: “It is overloaded and something has got to give. Teachers can’t be expected to sustain the current pressure and it is to be anticipated that experienced teachers will leave in droves. In fact, the [NASUWT’s] 2021 Big Question survey revealed that 53 per cent have considered leaving the profession in the last year. Teachers feel demoralised, unsupported and unrecognised for their outstanding efforts.”
Also from the NASUWT conference: Teachers ‘suffering increasing parent abuse online’
Mental health: Big increase in teachers signed off with stress
Covid: Teachers’ key support is from colleagues
Pupil wellbeing: ‘Schools not ready for pupils’ emotional needs’
The “tremendous strain” on the profession brought about by Covid - from safety fears to the extra workload caused by remote learning - came on top of the pre-existing pressures of excessive workload and a lack of resources and support to meet the needs of all pupils, said Ms Easton.
Covid and schools: The impact on teacher workload and mental health
She said there had been a rise in stress and mental ill-health among teachers in the past year.
Ms Easton added: “Teachers have gone the extra mile to facilitate remote learning for all young people and this has not been without its challenges. The pressure on every professional, speed learning how to use Teams, how to innovate with digital technology, how to deliver an effective level of education. There was an expectation of near-normal education, in a situation that was anything but normal. It is no wonder there has been an increase in mental health issues by teachers.”
Ms Easton called on the Scottish government and employers to equip, prepare and support teachers for the ongoing impact of Covid and ensure that teachers are “not lighting a candle in the dark and trying to find a way out”.
She said: “We need an education system which is prepared - prepared for the challenging effects of Covid on children, prepared to bridge the digital divide in ensuring all children can access remote learning, and prepared in case there is another [Covid] wave.
“We must ensure everything is in place so we are not lighting a candle in the dark and trying to find a way out. There must be consistency and a uniform approach to remote learning moving forward. And there must be greater focus on the physical and mental wellbeing of teachers, making sure they can feel safe and are not overloaded.”
At the weekend, the NASUWT Scotland conference also heard that parents are increasingly targeting teachers with verbal abuse and criticism via social media and email.
The union has also highlighted concerns that violence and abuse of teachers is “becoming normalised”.
