Northern Ireland report finds 91% teacher burnout
- Dublin City University and St Mary’s University College said April 21 that 91% of Northern Ireland teachers report moderate to high burnout. - The survey of more than 600 teachers found 95% blamed workload, while 46% said burnout made them likely to leave teaching. - The findings follow separate workload warnings from NASUWT in Northern Ireland. (nasuwt.org.uk)
More than nine in 10 teachers surveyed in Northern Ireland are experiencing moderate to high work-related burnout, according to research published April 21. (dcu.ie) The study came from Dublin City University’s Centre for Collaborative Research Across Teacher Education, working with St Mary’s University College in Belfast, and drew on responses from more than 600 primary and post-primary teachers across Northern Ireland. (dcu.ie) (stmarys-belfast.ac.uk) Researchers said 91% of respondents reported moderate to high work-related burnout, 95% pointed to workload, and 46% said they were likely to leave the profession because of burnout. (dcu.ie) (stmarys-belfast.ac.uk) The same survey found 59% cited unrealistic parental expectations, 47% cited unrealistic expectations from schools, and 46% cited challenges working with pupils with special educational needs. (stmarys-belfast.ac.uk) The report places teacher wellbeing at the center of a staffing problem, because the research also says a large share of respondents do not expect to remain in teaching long term. (stmarys-belfast.ac.uk) The Northern Ireland findings broadly match an earlier Republic of Ireland survey cited by the researchers, which found 85% of teachers there had moderate to high burnout and 42% were likely to leave the profession because of it. (dcu.ie) The pressure has also become a labor issue. On April 4, NASUWT said “industrial peace” in Northern Ireland depends on urgent action on workload, after delegates backed calls for a funded reduction plan. (nasuwt.org.uk) NASUWT said teachers are still reporting excessive hours, bureaucracy and unmanageable expectations, and one union official said some are working 60-hour weeks. (nasuwt.org.uk) The researchers said short-term resilience measures will not be enough. They called for long-term system changes, starting with listening to teachers about workload and working conditions. (dcu.ie)
