More than 150 secondary and primary teachers left States schools between 2014 and 2017 for reasons other than retirement. There are currently around 800 teachers employed at States schools in Jersey.
Rob Ward, the Jersey president of the National Education Union (the NUT section), warned that many more teachers could soon leave or be signed off.
‘It is as bad as I’ve ever known it in Jersey,’ Mr Ward said.
‘We are hitting a tipping-point in education and eventually there is going to be a crisis. It’s a lot closer than people realise. We simply can’t do any more.
‘Whereas teaching was once a genuine vocation, it has been turned into a factory and more and more people are leaving. The saddest part is that eventually our students will be affected unless we start to turn things around.’
A freedom-of-information request revealed that the number of sick days for stress, anxiety and depression taken by teachers more than doubled in two years, from 426.1 in 2014 to 948.2 in 2015 – the latest figures available.
Mr Ward blamed a general lack of funding, which affects staffing levels, meaning that teachers were having to perform extra roles or teach subjects in which they were not qualified.
He also said that a ‘data-driven’ model of teaching in schools wastes teachers’ time and saps morale by forcing them to spend more hours carrying out administrative tasks, writing reports and marking work.
‘It is the same model which has decimated UK schools and created a recruitment crisis there,’ Mr Ward said.
‘But the main issue in Jersey education is the lack of funding, which affects everything from behavioural issues to exam outcomes as well as wellbeing and stress levels of staff.
‘Jersey’s funding levels do not compare well to the UK, and while Education will say they have increased funding, that is only to cope with the increase in the number of pupils,’ he said.
A local teacher, who has 15 years’ experience in Jersey schools, told the JEP that the job had changed immeasurably in the last decade.
‘There has been a large increase in the frequency of assessments, which all take time to mark, and the turnaround time can sometimes put immense pressure on teachers,’ he said.
‘Staff numbers are now so carefully monitored that schools have to use non-specialist teachers to teach subjects more and more often – even for GCSE subjects. This puts pressure on staff to deliver at a level that they often aren’t trained for.
‘There is also much less time for breaks these days because of all the extra administration. Staff members who manage to get a short break in the day are truly in the minority. This is an example of a unhealthy, unsustainable working routine.’
Deputy Louise Doublet, a member of the Education and Home Affairs Scrutiny Panel, said that the ‘data-led’ culture of teaching was preventing teachers and pupils from having sufficient time for pastoral care.
She insisted that things needed to change to ensure the positive mental health of both teachers and pupils.
‘I can completely understand the pressure teachers are under and the agenda is coming from the top,’ she said.
‘We need to consult with head teachers about the curriculum and teaching system, and it’s time to start taking staff wellbeing seriously.’
The Education Department were contacted for comment but did not respond in time for publication.
