JANE Davidson, Welsh Assembly minister for education and lifelong learning, has called for “clear and unambiguous” improvements in teacher workloads.

In her evidence to the School Teachers’ Review Body, she spoke of the need to cut back on bureaucratic burdens for teachers whenever possible. Acknowledging that there is “no quick fix” to the problem, Ms Davidson said that her primary objective was to cut back on teachers’ administrative duties, freeing up more time for the classroom. She did not specifically mention a maximum working week.

Ms Davidson also addressed workload issues specific to teachers in Wales:

“Many teachers in Wales face additional challenges because they work in two languages, English and Welsh. It is very clear to me that they are remarkably adept at successfully meeting those challenges. But we must also ensure that the additional burden is kept to a minimum.”