"Teachers who are worn out and run down by the excessive demands being placed upon them will not be able to give their best to their students"

Lack of work/life balance unsustainable

The lack of work/life balance is leaving teachers increasingly exhausted, stressed and unable to give their best to the pupils they teach, the Annual Conference of the NASUWT, the largest teachers’ union in the UK, has heard today.

86% of teachers in an online NASUWT survey cite excessive workload as the greatest concern they have about their job.

Representatives at the Conference, which is being held in Manchester, called for greater enforcement and action by Governments, administrations, inspectorates and employers to recognise that teachers’ work/life balance is key in ensuring high quality education for all children and young people.

Chris Keates, General Secretary of the NASUWT, said:

“Teachers who are worn out and run down by the excessive demands being placed upon them will not be able to give their best to their students.

“Being able to rest and recharge is vital in maintaining energy, enthusiasm and morale-all key components of high-quality teaching.

“The evidence that workload is blighting the lives of teachers and is a major contributory factor to the teacher supply crisis is irrefutable.

“Governments and administrations must commit urgently to the action necessary to bring downward pressure on teachers’ workload and working hours.

“The situation is simply unsustainable. Action is needed now to support the profession and the education of our children and young people.”

ENDS

NASUWT Press Office contacts:
Ben Padley 07785 463 119
Lena Davies 07867 392 746
Simon Houltby 07920 711 069

Notes to editors
The NASUWT’s Annual Conference is being held at Manchester Central from 14-17 April.

The online survey attracted 4,908 responses from NASUWT members during February and March 2017.

The full text of the motion is below:

ESCALATING ACTION ON TEACHERS’ WORKLOAD
Martin Hudson to move,
Candida Mellor to second:
Conference is concerned by the unsustainability of workload and the dismissive attitude shown by governments and administrations towards teachers’ statutory entitlement to a work/life balance.
Conference commends the Union’s continued commitment to its Action Short of Strike Action which is a useful tool for teachers who decide to collectively challenge poor working practices.
Conference calls upon the National Executive to campaign for:
(i) a national workload agreement to include an assessment on the achievability and sustainability of all initiatives;
(ii) the increased statutory provision of planning, preparation and assessment (PPA) time;
(iii) the enforcement of work/life balance and workload policies and
(iv) inspection frameworks to include the inspection of work/life balance and workload.
Conference instructs the National Executive to consult members nationally on the escalation of the current action on workload to include:
(a) national days of strike action;
(b) continuous rolling, regional strike action and
(c) time-limited workplace-based actions.
(Cardiff, Cheshire West and Chester, Devon, Newcastle upon Tyne, North Tyneside)