Record number of education staff report mental health issues
A survey carried out by Education Support shows that a record number of teachers and education staff have cited mental health issues as a reason for considering leaving the profession with this being higher for those in senior leadership than any other level. The findings are part of the Teacher Wellbeing Index conducted annually. The report shows that education staff are continuing to experience higher levels of depression and anxiety than those in the general population, and that although Covid has decreased, issues including the cost of living crisis are impacting both budgets in schools and staff personally.
The figures show that:
- 59% of staff have considered leaving the sector in the past academic year due to pressures on their mental health and wellbeing (67% senior leaders, 59% school teachers)
- 55% of staff have actively sought to change or leave their current jobs (58% senior leaders, 53% school teachers)
- 68% of staff cited volume of workload as the main reason for thinking about leaving their jobs (83% senior leaders, 66% school teachers)
Education Support said that without “decisive action”, the government risks the “acceleration of current worrying trends”, including an increasingly burnt-out workforce, a worsening of the retention and recruitment crisis, and poorer health outcomes for the education workforce. The charity urges the Department for Education to implement the wellbeing policy test outlined in the Wellbeing Charter and asks for improvements in ensuring that wellbeing requirements are met for staff.
