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75% per cent of surveyed teachers report adverse impact on mental health

Study conducted by the NASUWT highlights concerns

More than 75 per cent of Island school teachers - who responded to a teaching union's wellbeing survey - claim their mental health has been adversely affected in the past year.

The NASUWT has blamed increased workloads- it also claims half of secondary school teachers are covering lessons for absent colleagues at least once a week.

Only 15 per cent said they felt their school took their wellbeing seriously.

Dr Patrick Roach is the general secretary of the union and said the survey painted a 'bleak picture' of increasing workloads - particuarly due to Covid-19 which he said was an issue of 'deep concern'.

He added: "Cover is not an effective use of a teacher’s time, and causes significant increases in workload.

"The Department for Education, Sport and Culture must recognise that, without action, there is the very real prospect of a viral pandemic being replaced by a work-related stress, anxiety and depression epidemic in schools.

"This in turn will threaten the retention and recruitment of teachers in the Isle of Man, undermining the recovery of pupils’ education from the impact of the pandemic.

"The NASUWT urges the DESC and Isle of Man Government to grasp the nettle and work with the Union to find ways to ensure teachers are able to spend their time focusing on teaching related activities and ensuring cover is only required rarely, if not eliminated completely.”

Meanwhile a dispute over pay and conditions is ongoing.  

Local negotiating secretary Geraldine O'Neill isn't ruling out taking action if their concerns aren't met:

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