40% of teachers would take a job abroad next term

Work-life balance & no respect take toll

A WORRYING 40% of teachers would quit Britain as soon as next term to work abroad if the right job came up, research shows.

The main reasons for leaving include work-life balance, lack of respect in schools, bureaucracy, disruptive pupils and government policy.

The study shows that 70% of teachers would consider working overseas.

Dr Mary Bousted, joint general secretary of the National Education Union, said: “The results are startling.

“But they are backed up by the fact that 40% of teachers TENSION Teachers feel strain leave within five years, whether they go abroad or leave the profession.

“It’s completely understandable why – given a 55-hour working week on average – teachers are looking to go somewhere else.”

The study comes as the number of secondary school pupils rises so fast it is estimated 47,000 more teachers will be needed by 2024.

Yet, after 2010 the number quitting the profession within five years has risen sharply.

Ann Mroz, editor of Tes magazine, which did the poll of 1,000 staff, said: “Our teachers are sought after all over the world, with the British teaching qualification often called the gold standard.

“There are a growing number of job opportunities for British teachers abroad, so we have to think about how to make it attractive for teachers to stay in the UK.”