Astonishing figuresfrom NUT survey show

scale of teacherworkload crisis

The National Union of Teachers conducted a survey between 24 and 28 September: 16,379 teachers responded.

� 90% of teachers said they had considered giving upteaching during the last two years because of the workload.

� 87% said they knew one or more colleagues who HADgiven up during the last two years because of the workload.

� 96% said their workload had negative consequences fortheir family or personal life.

Teachers who left say workload was the reason

We also surveyed members who had left the profession during this year (other than for retirement): 86% said

workload was the principal or a significant factor in them leaving the profession.

Fears for a teacher shortage are building

Teacher supply expert John Howson says it is unlikely that anyof the key subjects measured by UCAS will meet their teacher

training number targets for this year.

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What teachers are sayingHere are a very small sample of the quotes that members gave us last week:� I have been teaching for nearly 40 years and it has never been this bad before!

� I have three young boys who I barely spend time with any more. Just writing that sentence upsetme deeply.

� Data! Data! Data! No one is interested in teachers and pupils any more, just numbers on a piece of paper!

� I am heartbroken about what has happened to my profession and to me. I have given iteverything, that’s what the kids deserve, but I can’t stay in such a negative cycle any longer, it ismaking me ill.

� I worry that I will miss my son growing up, as “daddy is working” will continue to get worse rather thanbetter.

� I am proud of being considered an outstanding practitioner by ALL who have observed me evenOFSTED ... Then why do I dream of stacking shelves in a supermarket?

� Data, Ofsted, data, Ofsted … INSANE accountability which fosters a culture of blame, rock bottom moraleand teachers often found crying in corners.

� I am exhausted and it’s only four weeks into term. I have two children of my own and find myselfsnapping at them and unable to give them the time they need. How on earth am I expected tokeep going to 67???

� This is no life. I love teaching, but all I want to do is leave. It no longer feels like a profession. I feel like aslave. I don’t feel valued or trusted at all.

� I have two young daughters and I don’t often have time to spend with them because I am soexhausted from school. I don’t blame my school – they are responding to the excessiveexpectations from the Government, which doesn’t trust those who work in education.

� I would not advise any young person to go into teaching because of the level of pay compared to theamount of work and stress.

� I am often left feeling guilty for the lack of time I spend with my family and friends but alsofeeling guilty for not spending more time on my work – how is this healthy?

� When we approach SLT about these issues we are simply told this is what education is and what wehave to live with!

� The amount of planning and paperwork required. And then thorough marking – trying to mark120 books a day is daft.

� I’m constantly pinning on a happy face, all the while seeing the career that I aspired to as a child beingtwisted and deformed into a machine that churns out stressed and unhappy children. I’m devastated forthe children of this country…

� I work at weekends and rarely see my daughter. I’m spending my days looking after otherpeople’s children and not even getting to see my own child.

� We are told all the time that children progress at different rates and yet if it’s on our watch, it now affectsour progression on the pay scale.

� I hate the fact that I am sometimes willing my children to go to sleep just so that I can work. It’s not right.

� I work a ten hour day and most days bring home marking which can take a further two hours after I haveput my son to bed. It is simply untenable on a long term basis. It will damage my health, relationshipsand my quality of life.

� My job is no longer about helping students to achieve their potential, it has become an endlessexercise in providing evidence that I am a good teacher.

� I am no longer sure I even want to be a teacher. I used to believe it is what I was made for.

� My daughter told me as she left for university that she knew my ‘school’ kids were my priorityand that I didn’t always have time for her and although she understood this it did hurt. I wasdevastated; she was right but it was too late to change it for her.

� I dread my daughter or friend telephoning for a chat in the evening because I have work to do and aschedule to keep.

� Three years in and I think I might become a statistic who leaves before five years. Why would Iwant to do this for another 40 odd years? There’s no way I can keep this up and have a family.

� I know so many people of all ages and stages of their teaching career who’ve quit, and I think about it atleast three times a week too. And I’ve only been teaching two years.

� The lack of trust in teachers to do what is best for their students is astounding and the abuse oftheir time leads to teachers feeling torn between what the DfE and school leaderships are tellingthem to do, and what they feel they should be doing for their students.

� Just to say, I love teaching. So many aspects of this job are fulfilling, but the workload is insane. I’m tooscared to work out my actual hourly rate. As a NQT, I was probably actually earning less than minimumwage last year...

� As teachers we would be devastated to think that the children in our care saw so little of theirparents and yet we ourselves are expected to neglect our own families.

� The feeling of working as much as you can, still not getting everything done and then being told it’s notgood enough by both SLT and the Government is demoralising.

� I love teaching, but hate this system I teach in. I’m a good and well respected teacher, but I can’tkeep living like this. The moment I find the right opportunity, I will leave this uncaring, fear driven,life-drain that masquerades as a ‘profession’.

� The obsession with data has no impact on my teaching. It hinders it as it takes away precious time toplan and prepare inspiring lessons on top of marking constantly. How can I have a family as a teacher? I don’t have enough time for myself.

� Teachers just wish they had the time and energy to enjoy life, but feel guilty because they have solittle left to give to others…

� It is the constant nagging feeling that I should be working regardless of what I am doing. If I’m seeingfriends, I’m only half there.

� Two week marking cycles mean I almost always have marking that I have to consider “overdue”,and the stress of ensuring every lesson leads to progress means my lessons are being planned inso much detail it is unsustainable.

Designed and published by The Strategy and Communications Department of The National Union of Teachers – www.teachers.org.ukOrigination by Paragraphics – www.paragraphics.co.uk Printed by U4 Print Services – www.u4printservices.co.uk – 9710/09/14

� I am glad my time in education is coming to an end. I would never recommend it to anyone as a careerchoice anymore and I am by no means alone in feeling this way.

� To be properly planned for the next day I must have no evening. When my working day finishes,another one starts. Weekends are for sleep and trying to squeeze something/anything in with thekids. I am a drone.

� The worst thing is telling my son I can’t read a story tonight because I have to get some markingfinished.

� Data entry forms, Inclusion paperwork, new starter EAL paperwork, EAL register, trying to mark130 pieces of work a day. I have no life and if I do I feel guilty and get behind. It’s very depressingand feels hopeless.

� Who do we want in front of our classes? Tired teachers with little life experience and few outsideinterests or people with energy who can share life experiences…?

� I have an 18 month old and work full time. At the weekend I have to arrange family time aroundplanning and writing schemes of work. I get cross with my toddler if he wants me when I amtrying to work, but he wants his mum and I will never get this time with him back.

� I work until nearly 1am every day trying to keep up with ridiculous marking policies which means I amexhausted every day and my lessons suffer as a consequence. I honestly feel like I can’t do this for muchlonger. Education has changed so much since I joined the profession 11 years ago that I don’t recognise it.

� I am fed up with seeing my colleagues near to breaking point, and there isn’t a week goes bywhere I don’t see someone crying. This has to stop.

� Last Christmas, I attended a friend’s retirement party where she apologised to her children for not beingthere for them growing up. I’ve lasted five years – I cannot last another 38. That will not be meapologising to my child for putting others before him.

� In the last two years an innumerable number of fellow PGCE graduates from my course have leftteaching. Older teachers have every ounce of energy, creativity and time sucked out of them untilthey physically cannot do the job, at which point they are disposed of. It’s frankly disrespectful!

� As soon as something comes up, I will not hesitate to leave. Teaching is not the job It used to be.Children are not allowed to have fun anymore as teachers are under too much pressure to get them tomake the desired amount of progress regardless of their family circumstances. Children are not robots!

We are losing far too many good teachers#TellNicky something has to change

Go to www.teachers.org.uk/manifesto to readthe NUT’s manifesto for our children’s education