Teachers betrayed by ministers over workload
Representatives at the Annual Conference of the NASUWT, the largest teachers union in the UK, have today condemned the failure of ministers and employers to address the problem of excessive teacher workload, which is damaging the health and wellbeing of teachers and contributing to the growing crisis in recruitment and retention.
89% of teachers cite excessive workload as the greatest concern they have about their job.
Teachers at the Conference, which is being held in Cardiff, have called for action at national and school level to address excessive workload.
Chris Keates, General Secretary of the NASUWT, said:
“Teachers are exhausted and their health and wellbeing is deteriorating.
“Teachers are being betrayed by ministers and employers, who are well aware of the problems and do nothing to address them.
“The annual research conducted by the NASUWT demonstrates that year-on-year since 2011 workload and working hours have been rising.
“Secretary of State Nicky Morgan raised teachers’ expectations with her Workload Challenge only cruelly to dash them with a sanitised report that misinterpreted and misrepresented the evidence.
“It was perhaps not surprising that so close to the General Election the Secretary of State was compelled to bury the inconvenient truth that Coalition education policies, combined with poor management practices, were the key drivers of excessive workload.
“Excessive workload is driving talented teachers out of the profession, deterring new entrants and damaging the health and wellbeing of those who remain.
“High quality education cannot be sustained by a profession which is stressed, demoralised and exhausted.”
