‘Ninety per cent of teachers’ considered quitting

The findings of a workload survey carried out by the National Union of Teachers (NUT) has been published today ahead of education secretary Nicky Morgan’s speech to the Conservative Party conference.

It found that 90 per cent of teachers said they had considered giving up teaching during the last two years because of workload and 96.5 per cent said their workload had negative consequences for their family or personal life. The NUT workload survey received more than 16,000 responses between Thursday and Sunday last week.

It showed that 87 per cent of those taking part knew of a colleague who had left their job because of workload during the last two years.

The NUT’s figures follow the release of a Government survey earlier this year which showed teachers were now working more than 55 hours a week.

The Department for Education (DfE) workload survey published in March showed secondary heads work 63 hours a week on average and primary school teachers work almost 60.

Teaching unions had warned that the figures showed a “dramatic” increase in working hours since the last Government survey was conducted in 2010.

Concerns over teacher workload is one of the issues in an ongoing dispute between the NUT and the DfE which has seen the union stage a series of strikes at both regional level and nationally.

Commenting on the NUT’s new survey, its general secretary Christine Blower, said: “This makes for utterly depressing reading and is a clear justification of the NUT’s continuing campaign on teacher workload.

“Anyone concerned about the education of our children will be alarmed at the low levels of morale and exhaustion within the profession.”

Mrs Blower urged the Education Secretary to address this issue in her speech to her party’s conference today and in talks with teaching unions which are set to take place tomorrow.