Teacher workload: thousands respond to government call for evidence

26th October 2014, 6:30am

Teachers have inundated government officials with responses to its survey on workload.

More than 21,000 teachers responded to the Department for Education’s questionnaire on workload in less than three days, according to figures.

Education secretary Nicky Morgan launched the Workload Challenge via the TES website earlier this week to gain feedback from the profession on how their burden could be lessened.

According to the Organisation for Economic Cooperation and Development, teachers in England work longer hours a week than any other country but spend less time in the classroom - just 20 hours a week on average.

Ms Morgan told TES that the tremendous response from teachers to the survey would be followed up with more than just words.

“I’m delighted by the huge levels of engagement from the profession to the Workload Challenge,” Ms Morgan said. “The fact that in three days we’ve had over 21,000 responses just confirms how strongly teachers feel about this issue.

“Over the coming months I’m looking forward to turning their recommendations into concrete action to reduce unnecessary workload.”

The survey results will be fed back to a panel of teachers and education experts in the new year. The panel will then work with the profession, teaching unions and Ofsted to put forward recommendations.

The survey was supported by deputy prime minister Nick Clegg, who gave a speech at a school in South London calling for the “runaway train of bureaucracy” to be stopped.

The Workload Challenge was welcomed by teaching unions, with Mary Bousted, general secretary of the ATL, claiming that “politicians will find they have opened Pandora’s box”.