"the system is on its knees."
Ahead of the new school term, the Liberal Democrats have said burnt-out teachers urgently need better working hours and more support to stop them quitting the profession.
A survey of more than 900 teachers, headteachers and Special Educational Needs Coordinators (SENCOs) across England found that almost half were considering leaving teaching within five years.
One in 10 respondents said they were planning to leave the profession within a year, highlighting concerns over teacher retention as schools prepare to welcome pupils back.
More than three quarters of those surveyed, including former teachers, said they had felt “frequently or constantly burnt out” while at work.
Respondents pointed to high workloads involving marking, lesson preparation and other tasks, which they said reduced the time they had available in the classroom.
The Liberal Democrats have called on new Education Secretary Lucy Powell to fully fund teachers’ pay increases instead of requiring schools to cover part of the cost from existing budgets.
They are also calling for limits on overtime, better enforcement of teachers’ legally mandated working hours and mandatory flexible working policies across schools.
Liberal Democrats schools spokesperson Caroline Voaden said the findings showed a government that is “not listening” to teachers.
She said: “We rely on teachers to educate our children; the least we can do is make sure they want to come back after the summer.”
Teacher retention has remained a challenge for successive governments, with workload and accountability among concerns raised by the profession.
The National Education Union (NEU) reported in 2019 that 4 in 10 teachers were planning to quit over “huge workloads and excessive accountability”.
The latest survey was conducted with the support of the NEU and the Association of School and College Leaders (ASCL).
NEU general secretary Daniel Kebede said schools were facing continued pressure following years of financial challenges.
He added: “After over a decade of austerity and chronic underfunding in our schools, the system is on its knees.
“The new academic year is the perfect time for Andy Burnham to signal a fresh start for our schools.
“That means fully funding the pay award and properly funding all our schools and colleges to stem the recruitment and retention crisis and give children the education they deserve.”
Voaden also called for immediate action as Powell begins her tenure as Education Secretary:
“As Lucy Powell enters her first term as education secretary, the Liberal Democrats are calling for her first act to be to introduce an emergency package of ‘back to school’ measures to face this crisis head on.”
The Liberal Democrat proposals come as teachers in England prepare for a 3.5% pay increase from September, followed by an additional 3% increase the following year.
Currently, half of the pay increase will come from existing school budgets, according to the party.
The Liberal Democrats want the government to cover the full cost of the pay award, alongside measures designed to improve working conditions and retention.
The party has not identified where additional funding for its proposals would come from.
The Department for Education said last year saw one of the lowest rates of teachers leaving the profession since 2010.
An education department spokesperson said:
“We know teachers do an incredible job and we’re determined to make sure that dedication is matched with the right support.”
“Last year saw one of the lowest rates of teachers leaving the profession since 2010, and a record number of teachers returning to the classroom, but we know there’s more to do.
“We’re taking action by announcing pay awards of almost 17% over two years, funding schools to improve maternity pay and offering targeted support to normalise flexible working and manageable workloads so that more teachers stay in our classrooms and thrive.”
