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A UK survey reveals that excessive workload and mental health concerns prompt teachers to consider quitting.
A survey conducted by the National Union of Teachers (NUT) on 3,000 young recruits revealed that 45% of them intend to quit within five years. Workload was cited as the top reason for leaving the teaching profession, followed by mental health concerns.
According to some teachers, bureaucracy is taking up much of their time. They added that the never-ending paperwork is a burden that keeps them from creating more learning opportunities for their students.
Despite working long hours, 70% of the teachers said that their passion for teaching was their reason for staying. For instance, math teacher Henry Emoni admitted he stays put only because of his students. He said that he is aware that being a teacher usually means working extra hours, but he acknowledged feeling disheartened because of the working conditions.
Members of Parliament have pointed out that the shortage of teachers is already at a critical point. A report they published showed that core subjects are being handled by underqualified staff to compensate for the lack of manpower. According to the said report, recruitment and retention are issues that the government needs to address head-on. One of its recommendations is to put a limit on the extra hours that teachers have to render.
In the meantime, the UK government is trying to address recruitment issues by relaxing immigration policies. This is intended to help employers easily hire foreign workers who can fill teaching positions.