Lowered morale means half of teachers want to quit, poll suggests
The survey reveals evidence that morale among teaching staff has taken a severe hit, with some employees working up to 60 hours per week. The reasons behind the reduced morale typically included ‘volume of workload’ (62 per cent) and desiring a ‘better work/life balance’ (57 per cent).
The poll contained views from 1,020 teachers and found that over the past five years, moral has fallen by 67 per cent, while nine per cent felt morale had improved. Meanwhile, 73 per cent of teachers agreed that current policies regarding the school curriculum and pupil assessment are narrow and uncreative.
Christine Blower, general secretary of the National Union of Teachers (NUT), commissioned the poll.
She said: “The government’s current priorities are both wrong and profoundly out of step with the views of teachers. They are the essential cause of the growing problems with teacher supply.
“This survey demonstrates the combined negative impact of the accountability agenda on teacher workload and morale. Teachers feel that the Department for Education’s work thus far to tackle workload has been totally inadequate.”
Nick Gibb, Schools Minister, insisted that the teaching profession has is still a popular one but that the government needs to act on excessive workloads. He said: “Teaching remains a hugely popular profession, with the highest numbers of people joining since 2008.
“The latest figures show the number of former teachers coming back to the classroom has continued to rise year after year – from 14,720 in 2011 to 17,350 in 2014.
However, Shadow Education Secretary Lucy Powell has voiced there are concerns with structures over standard staffing. She said: “While David Cameron’s government continues to be blinded by ideology and to ignore the chronic shortages of teachers, it is pupils and teachers that are paying the price.
“With the Tories constantly demoralising the profession and botching teacher recruitment, it’s no surprise that schools are now struggling against the highest number of teachers quitting in a decade and falling applications.”
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