Friday, February 28, 2014

Teaching - The Longer School Days

Primary state school teachers in England are working almost 60 hours a week, according to a survey by the Department for Education. Their secondary school counterparts worked almost 56 hours.  Headteachers in secondary schools recorded an average of 63 hours and 20 minutes a week.

Martin Freedman, director of economic strategy at the Association of Teachers and Lecturers, said teachers were now fitting in the equivalent of an extra full day a week by working during evenings and weekends. He added: "These figures expose [education secretary] Michael Gove's claim that this country's educational achievements would be improved if only teachers worked longer as utter rubbish. Exhausted teachers and tired pupils will not help children to achieve the best education outcomes and, at least as far as this survey is concerned, might actually make things worse."

"This survey shows an astonishing increase in the hours that teachers are working on Michael Gove's watch. No one enters the profession expecting a nine to five job, but working in excess of 55 hours a week and during holidays is entirely unacceptable," said Christine Blower, general secretary of the National Union of Teachers. "Many teachers feel totally overwhelmed and it is hardly surprising that two in five leave the profession after their first five years in the job, and morale is at an all-time low.”

The union case was strengthened by data obtained by the TUC from the nationwide Labour Force Survey, showing that teachers carried out more unpaid overtime in 2013 than any other profession. The average of 12 hours extra a week was higher than financial directors (11 hours) or lawyers (nine hours).

Taken from here

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