Teachers being left ‘exhausted’
TEACHERS in Devon have been left ‘emotionally and physically exhausted’ by the pressures piled on the education system during the pandemic, according to an executive headteacher.
More than 2,600 children and staff are currently isolating at home in the county due to cases of coronavirus and track and trace contacts – which is placing pressure on schools to implement action plans at short notice and juggle already tight financial resources.
Some teachers have even faced abuse from parents unhappy at how restrictions are being implemented.
Sian Lane, executive headteacher of the Cedar Tree Foundation, which runs Pinhoe and Woodbury primary schools, says teachers are rising to the challenge and still providing outstanding quality education. But the strain of their efforts is taking a heavy toll.
She said: “Staff are going over and above in school, having to respond to change on a daily basis with limited staffing and also whilst managing their own well-being, safety and the well-being of their families.
“They are physically and mentally exhausted. This has gone on for a long time now and schools have nowhere near returned to normal. They are supporting the emotional health of the children whilst attempting to catch-up on learning opportunities which have been severely impacted by Covid 19 and the loss of over a term of education for most pupils.”
She said funding from the government fell far short of what was needed. “Children are our future generation and deserve to be invested in so that they can recover from the impact of this pandemic and make a meaningful contribution as adults in all aspect of their lives. The government DFE Covid costs fund only allows us to claim for health and hygiene cleaning costs.
“Leaders are struggling to manage already depleted budgets and consequently are asking for support in covering escalating staff costs at this time.” She said parents were supportive. “Our families have been very supportive of the schools and in the main very appreciative of what we have done and our continuing best efforts to maintain a high quality educational output, during this very challenging time. Our support for vulnerable families has always been a high priority and I am proud that this has remained at the heart of our Federation response during Covid 19.”
Most recent figures show that the number of Devon schoolchildren currently isolating at home due to coronavirus rose to more than 2,600 last week – almost three times the figure of the previous week. In total, the council’s figures show that 38 schools controlled by the authority had positive cases.
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