Commenting on the latest report by Education Support, Dr Patrick Roach, NASUWT General Secretary said:
“This report highlights the severe toll being taken on teachers’ mental health because of the excessive and unnecessary workload. “It is a deeply concerning picture of the state of mental health across the profession.
“Teachers and headteachers are experiencing increased mental health and wellbeing issues as each year passes and their impacts on the profession as a whole continue to grow.
“The profession is looking to the Government and the Workload Reduction Taskforce to address the main drivers of excessive and unnecessary workload. This should include: action to address the provisions in the teachers’ contract that fail to secure an adequate limit to their overall working hours, removing from teachers tasks and responsibilities that do not require their professional skills and expertise and ensuring that every school is implementing the Government's own recommendations on marking, planning and assessment practice.
“In addition, the inspection and accountability regime should be geared towards supporting genuine improvement. Instead it is often the case that those who work tirelessly to deliver the very best for pupils, often without the resources they need, are being scapegoated and unfairly punished.
“The current school accountability regime is not working, is contributing to the kind of pressures on teachers and leaders highlighted in this report and is in urgent need of reform.
"The Government said it was committed to examining the impacts of the inspection system on the workload and wellbeing of teachers and headteachers. It is high time the Government took action rather than making empty promises."
