NUT says stress causing teaching ‘crisis’ in Wales
TEACHERS in Wales took almost 52,000 days off school last year due to stress-related illness, new figures have shown.
Research conducted by the National Union of Teachers (NUT) Cymru found that 12 of Wales’ 22 local authorities reported a rise in stress-induced teacher leave in 2015.
The union’s secretary David Evans said the figures suggested Wales was “bordering on a crisis” in the teaching profession.
Data obtained using the Freedom of Information Act shows that Cardiff, with 9,475 days lost, and Rhondda Cynon Taf, which lost 4,661 days, saw the most time missed through registered mental health issues.
Overall, there were 51,795 school days lost last year and only six Welsh councils lost fewer than 1,000 teacher days due to stress.
According to NUT Cymru, there were 2,568 more days lost to stress in 2015 than in 2014 – and the total number of days lost since January 2012 now stands at 202,314. Based on an average cost of £170 per day for supply cover, the union said the figures mean that about £34.4m has been spent by schools over the past four years to fill the void.
NUT Cymru said increasing workloads were behind high levels of teacher stress and the union is calling on Education Secretary Kirsty Williams to take steps to ease the burden. Mr Evans said: “Workload-induced stress among teachers is seemingly getting worse in Wales.
“The new minister will of course want to get to grips with some of the big policy issues such as the curriculum and professional development, but the stark reality is that unless we deal with this concern the success of all other initiatives is put at risk.
“We can’t continually expect the teaching profession to deliver recordbreaking results when we are seeing recordbreaking levels of mental ill-health problems due to the pressures they are being placed under.
“It is important to recognise that the last Welsh Government acknowledged this problem and indeed tasked pioneer schools with the responsibility of factoring it into their work on the curriculum.
“The new minister will need to examine what solution may potentially come out of that work.”
Mr Evans said the union had written to Ms Williams outlining its concerns.
And he praised her commitment to reducing class sizes, a move de- signed to reduce teacher workload and help raise pupil attainment.
He added: “When you consider the financial implications of not getting to grips with this problem, it is staggering.
“The 202,314 days that have been lost to schools due to stress-related illnesses over the past four years works out at around the equivalent of £34.4m for supply cover.
“This is all at a time where school budgets are at breaking point. As things stand we are bordering on a crisis in the profession.”
A spokesman for the Welsh Government said: “We agree it is important our teachers are not overburdened.
“There are a range of statutory provisions in force which aim to ensure teachers have a suitable work/life balance and maintain their health and safety.
“These include supporting teachers who are absent through extend- ed illness to get back to work.
“All teachers, through their local authorities, have access to employee assistance programmes and we will continue to work with local authorities, regional consortia and Governors Wales to raise awareness of these support programmes to encourage their use by teachers across Wales.”
Guidance on the effective management of workforce attendance is due to be updated in September.