Commenting on the findings of the Organisation for Economic
Co-operation and Development’s 2018 Teaching and Learning
International Study (TALIS), published today, Chris
Keates, General Secretary of the NASUWT-The Teachers’
Union, said:
“TALIS provides an important snapshot of the state of the
teaching profession in England and more than 40 other education
systems. While the results of a study of this type should always
be treated carefully, it is clear that its findings lend further
weight to the NASUWT’s concerns about the negative impact of
current Government policy on teachers and headteachers.
“As in previous TALIS reports, a standout result is that teachers
in England work longer hours than their colleagues in other
education systems. In particular, teachers in England spend
longer than their peers on marking, administration and
preparation. This finding reflects the unequivocal outcomes of
longitudinal research by the NASUWT which demonstrates that high
workload remains teachers’ top concern about the quality of their
working lives and is a key contributory factor in the deepening
teacher recruitment and retention crisis.
“The NASUWT has also highlighted the impact of nearly a decade of
suppressed pay on teacher supply and the morale of the workforce.
It is, therefore, disappointing but not surprising that TALIS
finds that teachers in England are increasingly dissatisfied with
their pay and are acutely aware of how poorly it compares with
that of other graduate professions.
“The barriers that teachers in England face to participating in
high quality professional development and training are matters of
longstanding concern. It is deeply troubling that TALIS observes
that teachers in this country are more likely than teachers in
other systems to report difficulties in accessing training, with
many stating that work pressures result in them not having time
to access important professional development opportunities.
“The TALIS study sets out some clear pointers to policymakers
around the world on supporting the work that teachers and
headteachers undertake with children and young people. The report
calls for action to tackle teacher dissatisfaction, lack of
recognition and burnout, while working with trade unions to
enhance teachers’ pay, working conditions and training. Given the
adverse consequences of current policy in this respect, these are
aims that the Department of Education must adopt and achieve if
it is to ensure that pupils in England can continue to benefit
from a highly skilled, well-motivated teaching workforce”.
