Education unions demand action on workloads

Following the first in-person meeting of leaders from 10 education unions, the BIGTU British and Irish group of teacher unions has called on policy makers within their jurisdictions to prioritise tackling teacher workload and promoting practitioner wellbeing in schools, colleges and universities.

The group says the long and stressful working hours associated with teaching are causing a recruitment crisis in the profession, and is calling for a reduction in the amount of paperwork teachers and lecturers are required to handle. It says “excessive summative assessment” – which includes exams and tests – and “unhelpful external audit and inspection processes” are two clear areas where reducing teachers’ workload would help reduce stress.

BIGTU chair Larry Flanagan stated: “By reducing workload in areas with little evidence of impact, we can realign teachers’ working lives with their moral purpose and improve both teacher wellbeing and the student experience.”