Half of teachers ‘want to quit because of cutbacks’

Half of Britain’s teachers and social workers are looking to leave their jobs in the next 18 months because of poor working conditions and stress, a study suggests.

Spending cuts leading to a lack of staff are largely responsible, according to Dr Jermaine Ravalier, the psychologist who conducted the research. High workloads and the burden of red tape were bigger reasons for people wanting to quit their jobs than low pay, said Dr Ravalier, from Bath Spa University, speaking at the British Science Festival in Brighton.

He added: “I think there’s a potential for a crisis.”