Call to combat rise in teacher stress

ALMOST HALF of teachers have experienced depression, anxiety or panic attacks, a study has found, prompting calls for mandatory mental health support.

Charity Education Support Partnership’s (ESP), in its Teacher Wellbeing Index for 2018, has released the results of surveys carried out with more than 1,500 teachers in the UK.

More than three-quarters had experienced work-related health issues, it found, with 80 per cent of senior leaders suffering from stress.

This, said charity chief executive Julian Stanley, was of particular concern.

“We must do more to protect this group and support them to manage their own well-being as well as equipping them with the resources to create a positive culture for their staff,” he stressed.

The ESP has called for mandatory provision of mental health and well-being guidance within initial teacher training, and access to assistance programmes for all school staff.

It also calls for regulators to prioritise well-being in assessments.

“Teaching is one of the most important jobs there is, a chance to shape the future of the next generation,” added Mr Stanley.

“But by turning the role into an unmanageable task or failing to make wellbeing a priority in schools we risk alienating those with the passion and skill to succeed.”

A Department for Education spokeswoman said it had taken steps to strip away excessive workloads, and look into ways of supporting teacher wellbeing.

“The Education Secretary has been clear that there can be no great schools without great teachers and we have committed to tackling issues that could affect teachers’ mental health and wellbeing,” she said.