Teachers tell of pandemic concerns
THE impact of Covid-19 on staff in Wales’ schools and colleges is highlighted today in a national survey of more than 78,000 education professionals.
There are worries about safety at work, workload and the effect of the pandemic on teaching. More than a quarter of school leaders are considering leaving.
The survey by the Education Workforce Council (EWC) is the largest of its kind and for the first time now includes youth workers and workplace learning staff.
Conducted alongside the Welsh Government, trade unions and employers between January and May this year, the survey sought views of staff in schools, further education, work-based learning and youth work.
While most reported feeling secure in their jobs during the pandemic, the survey paints a picture of long hours, worries about safety and feelings of not being prepared for changes like the new curriculum.
It found:
■ full-time teachers report regularly working 56-hour weeks, or 24 hours more than they are contracted to do;
■ 45% of teachers said remote and blended learning increased workload;
■ 69% of school teachers said they are concerned about the impact Covid has had on their well-being and safety;
■ seven in 10 teachers, senior leaders and learning support staff said the pandemic has affected their well-being and they are “fairly or very” anxious and concerned about their own health or that of those close to them;
■ six in 10 FE teachers and school and college support workers are worried about safety and well-being at work; and
■ 58.8% of youth workers said they were either not very concerned or not concerned at all about work safety and well-being in the pandemic.
There were fewer worries about the impact of the pandemic on teaching and delivering changes such as the new curriculum and ALN Bill. This ranged from 32.7% of school leaders saying they were fairly anxious or concerned about this to 44.7% of FE learning support workers.
Although 45% of teachers said blended and remote learning had increased their workload, most saw benefits to it and would like to see it continue in some form post-pandemic. Staff at all levels reported an increased workload since the last EWC survey in 2016 and work based learning staff and youth workers were the least confident their jobs were secure.
Seven in 10 school teachers and more than six in 10 school and college leaders said they cannot effectively manage their workload within the agreed hours.
Full-time school and college teachers and leaders regularly work more than 50 hours a week.
On the new curriculum, coming in next year, only half of the 758 school leaders responding felt prepared to deliver it and only 38% believed their staff were ready to do so.
On a brighter note, there was optimism among respondents overall about their future in the profession, their own professional development and continued online learning.
More than two thirds said they intended to progress to more senior roles.
Responding to the findings, Hayden Llewellyn, EWC chief executive said: “These results lift the lid on many of the professional challenges faced by staff across the whole of the education workforce in Wales.
“We encourage government and key policy makers to take heed of what the profession has said.”
Education Minister Jeremy Miles said: “We recognise this has been a difficult time for everyone in education, and it’s good to see the level of confidence which staff have in the support provided by their employers.”