Teachers’ stress leave increased by at least 14 per cent in Wales over the last two years.
In all – during 2009/10 – Welsh teachers needed over 60,000 days away from the classroom due to stress.
That’s according to figures obtained by the Welsh Conservatives.
Of 14 local authorities that supplied annual statistics, nine saw an increase between 2009 and ’10, and the total amount of days taken increased from 20,968 to 24,079.
Pembrokeshire saw the largest rise – from 423 days in ’09 to 1656 in ’10. Newport saw the lowest – from 1,438 to 1,609.
Shadow Minister for Education, Angela Burns AM, said:
“These figures are huge and plainly represent a hidden problem both for teachers – and the education system as a whole.
“It’s very difficult to comprehend just how vast an issue this has been for a large proportion of our teaching staff – and the inevitable question is why?
“Strain and pressure that is serious enough to keep one teacher at home for a single day deserves attention. The loss of tens of thousands of days for many more teachers is an urgent issue that should be identified by the Minister and dealt with as a matter of priority.
“Not only is this level of stress incredibly unhealthy for those who suffer it, the loss of working days is obviously not beneficial to pupils and the cost to schools is also a matter of huge concern.
“Our teachers do an invaluable job and they deserve as much support as possible. These figures really question whether what’s in place is working.
“As the Welsh Labour Government continues to implement new strategies and practices within the education system, it’s crucial that more time and thought is given to the impact on teachers.”
