More than three-quarters (77%) of UK teachers said their workplace stress levels have increased over the past 12 months, according to research carried out by independent polling organisation ComRes.
Its research, which looked into teachers’ levels of job satisfaction and wellbeing, found that respondents’ biggest concern regarding their job is their workload (79%), following by pay and pensions (66%).
The research found that the majority of respondents disagreed that teaching is competitive with other occupations in terms of either the financial rewards on offer (80%) or salaries (67%).
Half (50%) of respondents have been forced to cut back on food and essential household expenditure as a result of a pay freeze and increases in pension contributions.
Chris Keates, general secretary of the National Association of Schoolmasters Union of Women Teachers (NASUWT), said: “The independent research published by ComRes confirms the findings of successive NASUWT reports and research since 2010 that teachers in England are demoralised and stressed as a result of the daily assault by the government on their pay and working conditions.
“The ComRes poll makes clear that, while teachers love teaching and are passionate about helping pupils to succeed, their ability to be effective is being severely hampered by excessive workload and perverse accountability systems, which divert teachers’ time and energy from the all important task of teaching and leading pupils’ learning.”
