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Lack of action on workload is driving teachers to quit

More than half of teachers say they are thinking about leaving the profession in the coming two years, with workload being one of the key reasons.

New research from the National Union of Teachers (NUT) has presented further evidence of the impact that workload is having on teachers in the classroom.

This is despite the government’s Workload Challenge last year, which sought to identify and tackle the key drivers of workload.

The YouGov survey, commissioned by the NUT, involved more than 1,000 teachers and revealed that 53 per cent are thinking about quitting.

The top two reasons given for this were “volume of workload” – cited by 61 per cent of those thinking about leaving – and “seeking a better work/life balance” (cited by 57 per cent).

The survey also found that teachers have seen a reduction in the number of support staff
(46 per cent reported a decrease) and teaching staff (32 per cent) in their schools. Morale has also declined, according to the study, with 67 per cent saying it had fallen in the past five years.

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