Today’s news review looks at the media reaction to comments from Dr Mary Bousted on teacher workload.
Teacher workload
Yesterday, 3 April, Dr Mary Bousted, General Secretary at the Association of Teachers and Lecturers (ATL), said that teachers were choosing to work a four-day week in order to keep up with their workload.
Dr Bousted shared anecdotal feedback from ATL members who say they are opting to go part-time so they can complete their work on Fridays ahead of the weekend.
Her comments were reported in The Metro, the i and the Evening Standard, among others.
We are clear that teachers should not be hampered by unnecessary workload, which we know often arises due to the time spent on marking, lesson planning and data management.
We have published a clear action plan setting out how we are tackling this issue, including a programme of targeted support for schools. We continue to work closely with the unions, teachers and Ofsted.
A Department for Education spokesperson said:
We want every child to be taught by great teachers who aren’t weighed down by an unnecessary workload so they have the time and freedom to do what they do best - inspire the next generation. This is why we have worked with the unions, teachers and Ofsted to challenge unhelpful practices that create extra work.
We have published a clear action plan setting out the steps we will take to help tackle this issue, which includes a programme of targeted support for schools. There is no silver bullet to solve this, and we don’t underestimate the challenge, which is why we want to continue to work with the profession to explore new and innovative ways to address it.
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