The research was conducted in December and January with 11,857 teachers (33% primary; 57% secondary; 6% special schools) from across the UK and the conclusions are stark.
They show that 90% have experienced more work-related stress in the last year; 91% report a decline in their mental health due to their work; and 64% report a decline in their physical health due to their work.
More than 80% report increased anxiety and loss of sleep as a result of the stress they are working under; 28% have increased their alcohol use. The most common reason for increase stress was higher workloads related to the pandemic.
Concerningly, almost one in five teachers (18%) reported suffering from long Covid, yet only a third of these have declared this to their employer amid concerns about punitive action or future employment prospects.
The NASUWT, which conducted the survey with its members, said the results show that ministers, employers and inspectorates are “failing in their duty of care to teachers”.
The respondents report that their schools are not providing workspaces that promote wellbeing (78%), do not have measures in place to monitor/manage stress and burn-out (66%), and do not have counselling support available for pupils and staff (66%).
Only 22% of the respondents felt that their school prioritises staff mental health.
More widely, the teachers responding to the research do not feel that their mental health and wellbeing is supported by government policies (81%), while 76% do not feel that inspectorates take teacher mental health and wellbeing into account when assessing their schools.
Dr Patrick Roach, NASUWT general secretary, said that increasing workload had been a concern pre-Covid and the pandemic has “turbo-charged” the pressure teachers face.
He continued: “Excessive workloads and working hours should not be accepted as an intrinsic part of the job of teaching. There are a multitude of practical steps which employers, governments and inspectorates can take, and which we have been pressing for, which would reduce the pressures on teachers without sacrificing educational standards or rigour in our schools.”
Dr Roach said that cutting out “unnecessary bureaucracy” and trusting teachers through greater autonomy is a model shown to be effective internationally.
He added: “Establishing working conditions which support the health and wellbeing of teachers will deliver a win-win in schools’ efforts to ensure the best outcomes for pupils.
“Instead, employers and governments are fixated on heaping ever more pressure on teachers on the damaging assumption that teachers’ dedication to their pupils is unbreakable. The damaging toll on teachers’ health and wellbeing cannot continue to be written off as collateral damage.”
- NASUWT: Teacher Wellbeing Survey, February 2022: https://bit.ly/3rS3xol