The signs of collapsing mental health in teaching is not a new phenomenon, but it can no longer go without immediate action.
The days of putting teachers’ mental health at the bottom of the agenda are long gone, as the negative effects are noticeable in a domino effect on students. Students are negatively impacted when their teachers are struggling with their mental health, and it is becoming an ongoing cycle, which will be even more visible in the future generations of working adults to come.
At Randstad, we’ve partnered with the Mental Health Foundation to help tackle the mental health crisis in the UK and will use this great partnership to support the mental health of everyone in our society, including teachers.
A concerning 78% of education staff reported they were stressed, and the highest among them (86%) were those in primary schools, according to the Teacher Wellbeing Index 2024. Some of the symptoms have been anxiety, burnout, exhaustion and depression.
From pivoting lesson plans for online delivery, creating support packages to help students learn remotely, to the recent cost-of-living crisis and budget cuts to the sector – it’s no surprise that education staff are recording persistent, higher levels of stress in their roles. There are calls for the sector to evaluate their support mechanisms for staff, and provide a psychologically safe space for staff to feel valued, and supported to bring their whole selves to work.
the concerning impacts.
More than half (59%) of staff are considering leaving the sector and, even more worryingly, 55% are actively looking for other roles away from education. The loss of experienced, passionate and talented education staff in such a short space of time will only increase the workload on remaining staff, put more pressure on leadership and make retention an even bigger issue.
A study by the mental health charity Education Support found that teacher wellbeing is at a five-year low, with stress, insomnia and burnout all rising. It’s not long until we witness a reduced quality of education due to teachers dealing with mental health struggles, which impact their ability to teach effectively. The excessive workload and achievable targets set for teachers are one of the many reasons to increase the stress of an increasingly demanding role. This pattern will be reflected in the upcoming generations of young working professionals, who will suffer from an overall lower quality of education, as a result of extreme pressures on their teachers.
call for immediate action.
By taking proactive steps to support teachers and improve their working conditions, we can ensure that they are able to thrive in their profession and provide the best possible education for our children. This isn’t a problem which can be fixed overnight, but we’ve gathered some of the key focus areas which will bring significant positive changes to the mental health of those working in the education sector in the short-term:
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Reducing administrative tasks and workload: Valuable time is being consumed by mundane administrative tasks including routine forms, assessments and compliance requirements which takes up the space of what truly matters - engaging and educating students
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Improve school culture: Creating a supportive and positive school culture where teachers feel valued and respected is essential
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Increase funding for mental health support: Schools need to have adequate funding to provide mental health support services for their staff
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Promote work-life balance: Encourage teachers to prioritise their wellbeing by promoting flexible working arrangements and discouraging excessive working hours
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Address student behaviour: Implement effective strategies to manage student behaviour and provide teachers with the necessary training and support.
It is our responsibility as a collective to ensure we implement the correct measures to support our teaching staff and enable them to improve their mental health and wellbeing. The Mental Health Foundation has published some guidance to help teachers look after their mental health.