Over half of teachers in UK considering quitting profession

More than half of the teachers in the UK are considering quitting the profession in the next two years due to workload and low morale, according to a survey.
The survey, conducted by YouGov and the National Union of Teachers (NUT), shows that two thirds believe that morale has declined in the past five years, while just one in 10 feel it has improved.
Figures show that nearly a third of teachers have witnessed a reduction in staff in schools, despite Government efforts to address key concerns, the UK media reported today.
It shows that 53 per cent of teachers are considering quitting the profession in the next two years. The top reasons given were "volume of workload" (61 per cent) and "seeking a better work/life balance" (57 per cent).

Morale has fallen in the past five years for two-thirds (67 per cent), the poll conducted on 1,020 teachers found.
The new survey follows previous analysis of Government figures by the Association of Teachers and Lecturers (ATL), which showed that almost four in 10 teachers quit the profession within a year of qualifying.

"There was an 'urgent' need for the Government to address the 'crisis in the schools system' where teachers were 'leaving in droves'," Christine Blower, general secretary of the NUT, was quoted as saying by the Telegraph.
"Nearly one million more pupils are coming into the system over the next decade," she said.

She said the Government's attempt to tackle workload was "totally inadequate" and "profoundly out of step with the views of teachers."
The survey figures come despite denials by the Government that there is a crisis in teacher recruitment.
Research carried out last year by the NUT found that many teachers were reportedly working up to 60 hours a week, with the majority of those surveyed saying this had "negative consequences" for personal life.