Stress could lead to a mass teacher exodus

FOUR in 10 Scottish teachers are planning to leave their job in the next 18 months due to stress and a lack of job satisfaction, a survey has found.

A report by Bath Spa University described the working conditions of our teachers as “extremely poor”.

Concerns were raised over the demands placed on staff, poor support from management, pupils and parents’ bad behaviour and “constant changes” to the curriculum.

Almost 5000 teachers took part in the survey.

The report said: “On average, teachers work a minimum 11 hours more than they are contracted to each week, the majority are dissatisfied in their role and more than 40 per cent are planning on leaving the job in the next 18 months.”

Larry Flanagan, general secretary of the EIS teaching union, said: “The results of this independent research confirm that Scotland’s teachers continue to be overburdened with excessive workload demands and are subject to high levels of stress.”

He said the findings were particularly worrying when considering recruitment challenges across Scotland and added “urgent action” was needed to “make teaching a more attractive profession, with better working conditions”. Labour’s education spokesman Iain Gray said: “This week, Nicola Sturgeon apparently re-committed to making education her top priority but this report shows that the commitment is nothing more than an empty slogan.

“Thanks to the SNP, our children’s teachers are undervalued and under too much pressure.”

A Scottish Government spokeswoman said: “We are absolutely committed to freeing up teachers to do what they do best – teach. We have already acted to reduce teachers’ workload, working closely with the EIS and local authorities.”