Nine out of 10 teachers in Northern Ireland say they are now facing unsustainable levels of classroom stress, with nearly half saying that they would consider quitting, according to new research.
More than 600 teachers were surveyed, with 59 per cent blaming “unrealistic parental expectations”, while 46 per cent cited challenges dealing with special needs pupils.
Nearly a third rated their own mental health as being “poor, or very poor”, while half of that number said their own mental issues were affecting their ability to teach students.
The detailed research has been carried out by the Centre for Collaborative Research cross Teacher Education (Create) at Dublin City University in collaboration with St Mary’s University College in Belfast.
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The findings match those previously found expressed by teachers in the Republic where 42 per cent said they were likely to leave their jobs, and where 85 per cent complained of burnout.
Like colleagues in the Republic, Northern teachers complain of unmanageable workloads, too much administration and the constant demand created by emails and texts from parents outside of working hours.
Less than a quarter of teachers in Northern Ireland said they had received any mental health training, while 18 per cent reported “low feelings of personal accomplishment”.
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The latest research was carried out by Prof Catherine Furlong, Pia O’Farrell, and Sabrina Fitzsimons of DCU’s Create research centre, supported by Paul Hazzard of St Mary’s University College, Belfast.
“Teachers are the backbone of our schools across the island of Ireland, without which our schools simply would not function. We need to see them supported,” said Fitzsimons.
Burnout cannot be dealt by temporary measures, or by resilience training for teachers, she went on, saying that they must not only “supported to stay in the profession”, but helped to flourish: “That begins by really listening to teachers,” she said.
Hazzard from St Mary’s University College, Belfast said: “Excellence in the classroom begins with the teacher. When we protect the wellbeing of the teacher, we protect the quality of our children’s future.
“If we are serious about the future of education, we must be serious about protecting the wellbeing of teachers. Supporting teachers is an urgent moral responsibility. Simply, there is no route to educational excellence without teacher wellbeing.”
