Debates between Louise Haigh and Rachael Maskell during the 2015-2017 Parliament

Thu 18th Jun 2015

Recruitment and Retention of Teachers

Debate between Louise Haigh and Rachael Maskell
Thursday 18th June 2015

(9 years, 5 months ago)

Commons Chamber
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Rachael Maskell Portrait Rachael Maskell
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I apologise, Madam Deputy Speaker.

Does my hon. Friend recognise that people are leaving the profession due to the high levels of work-related stress? We know that 83% of teachers are experiencing work-related stress and 67% are experiencing mental and physical health problems due to excessive workloads, the target-driven culture, and over-burdening inspection regimes.

Louise Haigh Portrait Louise Haigh
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My hon. Friend makes an incredibly important point.

The OECD workload diary survey found teachers working a staggering 50 hours per week compared with the average of 38.3 hours across the countries surveyed. It is becoming harder and harder to keep hold of qualified and experienced teachers. Frankly, that is no surprise. Demoralised, overworked and undervalued by a Government who treat the profession as a political football and a group to be taken on and beaten, its dedicated members are doing their best in extremely challenging circumstances.