A RECENT two-week survey of teacher workload has highlighted that Scotland’s teachers are working, on average, more that eleven hours a week over and above their contractual commitment.
The survey, carried out by Scotland’s largest teaching union the Educational Institute of Scotland (EIS), puts the average working week of a teacher at 46.5 hours.
This means that Scotland’s teachers are working an extra 33% of weekly hours on top of their contractual 35 hour week.
More than 3500 teachers across Scotland took part and recorded their working hours for the EIS workload survey.
Commenting, EIS General Secretary Larry Flanagan said, “The results of the EIS Fortnight Focus on Workload make for some worrying reading.
“Some teachers are working well above 50 hours a week, with potentially serious implications for their health due to the risk of stress and stress-related illness.
“It is clear that the current situation is unsustainable, and that urgent steps must be taken by the Scottish Government, local authorities and national education bodies to reduce the crippling workload burden that is being placed on Scotland’s teachers.”
