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 Workload, stress and teacher effectiveness
(extracts from a document issued to all schools June 2007)
National statistics produced for the Teacher Working Time Research Report for the SNCT demonstrate that teachers in primary school work on average 45 hours per week, varying from 38 to 54 hours per week. In secondary, the average is 43 hours, varying from 35 to 52 hours per week and for Principal Teachers the average is 46 hours, varying from 38 to 55 hours per week. For primary head teachers, the average is 50 hours, varying from 43 hours to 59 hours, and for secondary headteachers the average is 55 hours, varying from 53 to 61 hours. The majority of teachers surveyed noted an increase in time spent at work since 2001.
The variances show that in only one category are some few teachers managing to achieve a 35-hour working week. We also learn that for primary classroom teachers (including PTs), on average 14 hours are spent on preparation, correction and assessment, while for secondary teachers and PTs 12.5 hours are spent on this.
Solutions?
1. face up to the reality of the problem collectively and formally: this should come from both above and from the bottom up, and should not be recriminatory
2. consider diaries and formal recording of staff hours in a sample week in your own establishment, to see the reality
3. examine how many teachers and managers in your establishment are regularly absent with stress related illnesses, or taking early retirement
4. make discussing the issue a normal part of all management processes such as PRD or when considering policy changes
5. set aside to time to find solutions, within departments or stages, at school level, and at authority level
6. managers should issue advice on overworking, and ask ‘how can I help?’
7. always think about working smarter, not longer or harder
8. make sure that no tasks are being carried out which serve no real purpose, other than to use time: e.g. look at the demands of forward planning or other administrative processes
9. examine the level of administrative support in schools, and its effective use: keep Annex E in mind in this regard
10. examine carefully the use of the 195 hours, to ensure that there are not too many tasks to be done within the time set out
11. ensure that the formal reporting process is efficient, effective, and is achievable in a reasonable time scale
12. ensure that any formal assessment processes are valuable and can be carried out with a minimum of time use
13. make sure what people are driven to produce for HMIe is actually wanted
14. examine the need for, time implications, and impact of any new initiative
15. learn to use reprioritisation as a normal tool, and stay flexible
16. see a long hours culture as a sign of failure of management
17. look carefully at the competitive aspect of ‘boasting’ of hours worked
18. accept that at all levels people will be afraid to discuss the issue, out of a fear of demonstrating they are not coping
19. learn both how to say ‘no’ effectively, and equally importantly, learn how to hear it!
above all, see the situation as a reason to move forward collectively and positively, with solutions involving all participants
Teacher working time research paper
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