Stress and anxiety-related illnesses are a major problem in Irish schools, according to new figures which show that approximately 30 per cent of sick leave claimed by teachers last year was stress-related.
According to Freedom of Information documents released to The Irish Times, the total cost of absences due to sick leave by primary and second-level teachers in 1998-99 was almost £28 million.
According to the Department of Education, approximately 30 per cent of this was claimed by teachers suffering from stress and anxiety-related illnesses.
Apart from common illnesses suffered by most workers, the problem of stress and related illnesses is believed to be the second-biggest cause of absences among teachers in schools, according to Department information.
However, because stress can be accompanied by other problems an exact figure on how many teachers have missed school for this reason is difficult to work out, Department sources said.
Since the mid-1980s the problem has been growing and is particularly prevalent among teachers in their early to late 40s, according to Department of Education sources.
Teacher unions have been pointing out the problem for several years, and some of their leading members have claimed such illnesses represent between 40 and 50 per cent of the overall personal illness cost.
The Health and Safety Authority has also produced figures indicating a major problem.
According to sources the Department, in conjunction with the teacher unions and other education partners, are exploring the possibility of setting up a unit to look at occupational stress in teaching.
While stress and related conditions are costing the State approximately £8.5 million a year directly, the true figure is higher when the cost of employing substitute teachers for those out sick is taken into account.
For example, the cost of substitute teachers at primary level last year for all forms of absence was £11.4 million.
The equivalent figure for second-level schools was not available, the Department said.
At primary level the cost of absences by teachers for illness was almost £16 million last year.
The next-biggest cost for absences was maternity leave, which amounted to £5.8 million. Maternity leave in lieu came to £1.63 million.
At second level (which does not include vocational schools) the cost of teachers out sick comes to almost £11.8 million. Study leave was the next-largest cost coming in at £854,575, followed by personal leave at £743,266.
At both primary and second level the cost of teachers being absent for the purposes of in-service training was high. At primary level the Exchequer pays out £290,537 under this heading, while at second level it is £725,315.
These figures do not include the cost of providing the courses themselves which run into several million pounds annually.
The cost of in-service has increased in recent years because of the introduction of new curricula at primary and second level. The IT2000 initiative, which involves schools in information technology, has also had an impact on the amount of in-service needed by teachers.
Another significant cost is teachers absent because they have been suspended by their board of management. While at second level it costs only £23,321, at primary it comes to £203,950.
Many of the primary teachers are suspended pending an investigation of professional misconduct or a breach of the rules for national schools. These investigations can take a considerable time, and if Department of Education inspectors are involved they can be extended further. The teacher in suspended on full pay until the matter is resolved.
The other major cost is when second-level teachers are absent for the purposes of Department of Education exams. Last year this came to £548,877.