The teacher recruitment crisis in schools has featured prominently in education headlines recently, but another study has revealed that 85% of Further Education (FE) employees have considered quitting their job due to an unmanageable workload.

The study, carried out by the Association of Teachers and Lecturers (ATL), revealed that schoolteachers aren’t the only educators to feel heavy pressure, but that this extends to their FE colleagues. The survey was carried out by ATL as part of its ‘It’s About Time’ campaign, dedicated to helping educators finding a work-life balance.

“Excessive workload is one of the most serious issues facing the education profession,” the ATL states. “It affects the quality of teaching and learning [educators] are able to deliver. It is driving experienced and valuable staff from the profession. It is having a hugely detrimental impact on personal lives.”

The survey also revealed that 77% of FE employees believe their workload is too heavy, while 80% feel that they never have any time to train, upskill, or update their subject knowledge. 48% feel so pushed for time that they never take a break of at least 40 minutes throughout the day; these figures echo survey responses of school staff on stress and workload, as reported in November.

The ATL’s wider research with educators both in the FE sector and in other areas, such as schools, is further proof that this is a widespread problem in educational institutions in England. Overall, 64% of education staff never take a sufficient break during the working day.

An ATL member provided a damning comment in the survey: “If you want to be a good or better teacher, there is no such thing as work life balance. Planning, preparation and assessment takes hours and, in addition to that, being a subject leader or having extra responsibility in other areas leaves no time for family or running a home.”

Another member commented: “I spend at least two hours every evening completing work - that is after leaving work at half 5." Testimonies like this really open our eyes to the reality of working as a teacher or in a place of education. Facts and figures give us an insight into how widespread the problems are, but these individual stories are hard hitting and highlight the need for change.

ATL General Secretary Mary Bousted, an outspoken figure on the topic of teacher workload and stress, said of these new figures: “Heavy workloads and stress are nothing new, but the current situation is affecting the health of staff, making many want to leave the profession.”

She continued: “The government needs to acknowledge that it is responsible for much of the current workload because staff have to keep re-planning what they are doing to keep up with changes to the curriculum, and its funding cuts have led to colleges cutting jobs.” Ms Bousted said this information would be taken to the government and used to initiate talks and plans to reduce the pressure placed on education staff, and to illustrate the impact of constant changes to education policy.

Educators are crucial not only to society, but to our economy. Schoolteachers shape the minds of children, while Further Education nurtures school leavers and guides learners through crucial parts of life, whether they’re picking up where school education left off, upskilling, changing careers or improving their knowledge and skills. We’ve highlighted many times the benefits of Further Education to the young and the old, and to society and the economy. The work of Further Education staff, tutors and teachers simply cannot be ignored.

An unmanageable workload not only prevents a work life balance, but it also increases stress – the negative impacts of which are well-documented. Stress can affect sleep, productivity, and can be the catalyst for mental health illnesses such as anxiety and depression. For FE staff to function at their best and support their learners, they need to be free of this pressure and be given the opportunity to do what they do best: impart wisdom and shape people’s lives.

We hope the government will take action upon seeing these latest figures. Shadow Education Secretary Lucy Powell has accused the government of ignoring the teacher crisis, as Schools Minister Nick Gibb recently commented “the profession is in very good shape”. The figures appear to contradict this, and we hope that this valuable research from the ATL prompts the start of changes that are desperately needed.