Almost half of teachers surveyed in England are considering leaving the classroom within the next five years, according to a new survey by the Liberal Democrats. The party stated that many teachers reported feeling overworked and stressed, leading to calls for urgent measures to prevent them from quitting.
The survey, which included over 900 teachers, headteachers, and Special Educational Needs Coordinators (SENCOs), found that one in ten were planning to leave within a year. More than three-quarters of respondents, including former teachers, reported feeling "frequently or constantly burnt out" at work, citing high workloads from marking and lesson preparation.
The Liberal Democrats are urging the new Education Secretary, Lucy Powell, to fully fund teachers' pay increases and introduce limits on overtime. Their proposals include the government fully funding the 3.5% pay increase for teachers in England from September, with an additional 3% the following year, rather than schools covering half the cost from existing budgets.
A Department for Education spokesperson acknowledged that while last year saw one of the lowest rates of teachers leaving the profession since 2010, there is "more to do." The department stated it is taking action through pay awards, funding for maternity pay, and support for flexible working and manageable workloads.