Teachers have missed more than 9000 days at work in South Lanarkshire due to mental health issues over the past three years.
The “concerning” figures – revealed in a Freedom of Information request – show educational absences because of stress are the fourth-highest of all local authorities in Scotland.
The Education Institute of Scotland says the number of teachers struggling to cope with work-related stress will continue to increase unless drastic action is taken.
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Eddie Burns, the EIS secretary for South Lanarkshire, said that a range of factors contribute to poor mental health in the profession.
These include:
An ever-increasing workload
An “alarming rise” in violent incidents in schools, mainly due to cuts to support staff and services
A lack of absence cover, allied to shortages in key subjects, which puts an increased burden on those already in teaching to plug the gaps
An “ever-changing” curriculum and assessment structure,
without the necessary training and resources, leading to an increased workload for teachers, managers and pupils
Teachers being regularly contacted when off duty, either by email or through social media.
South Lanarkshire is in the top five in Scotland in teacher numbers.
Mr Burns believes extra funding and more resources are urgently needed to reduce the burden on teachers. His union are in dispute with the Scottish Government over pay and conditions.
Mr Burns said: “Across South Lanarkshire Council, teachers have the lowest absence rates of any group of employees. Teachers feel under pressure to return from sickness absence due to their commitment to their pupils and their sense of professionalism.
“The issue is not really a local one. South Lanarkshire Council has a genuine commitment to the health and wellbeing of all its employees, but is operating under strict budgetary controls which have seen massive cuts made to all services.
“We have a highly positive working relationship with the council, without which the situation would be worse.
“Until adequate funds are allocated nationally to address teachers’ concerns over pay, workload and stress, this narrative will be revisited year after year.”
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In total, 395,330 days were lost across Scotland for mental health reasons among teachers and support staff from 2015/16 to 2017/18.
Blantyre MSP Clare Haughey, who is also the Scottish Government’s mental health minister, said: “Our teachers face a number of pressures in their job, which is why the SNP government has taken action to reduce teacher workloads, simplified the curriculum framework, and removed unnecessary bureaucracy.
“Across Scotland, the ratio of pupils to teachers is at its lowest since 2013, whilst under the SNP administration at South Lanarkshire Council, the number of teachers has increased year on year.
“It is of course concerning that some of our teachers are missing class time due to mental health issues.
“As the stigma around mental health issues decreases, more people, including teachers, are coming forward for help, and it’s my job to take a range of actions aimed at ensuring everyone gets the proper support.”
The council’s executive director of education, Tony McDaid, said: “Mental health issues are of concern to all employers across Scotland and not just within South Lanarkshire Council or education services.
“To this end, the council has an excellent range of employee supports in place through our employee assistance programme.
“It offers practical and emotional support for all employees, whether the issue is personal or work-related and can also assist managers in supporting their employees with difficult or sensitive issues.”
