Teachers and pupils nearing ‘point of burnout’

As reported by BBC News, teachers and pupils are “getting to the point of burnout” due to the additional pressures brought by the coronavirus pandemic

That is according to the Irish National Teachers’ Organisation, the largest teachers’ union in Ireland.

Its committee chair in NI, Marie O’Shea, said the hard work of schools should not be overlooked.

“Whilst there were closures of buildings in a lot of cases, there was not a closure of schools,” she said.

“I think it’s really important that people remember that schools and teachers continue to contribute to their young people through periods of lockdown and through this pandemic.”

Child psychologist Denise McCartan told the BBC’s Sunday Sequence programme that she has seen an increase in young people seeking professional help for their mental health.

“Some children will be more resilient because they have managed to cope through a difficult period,” she said.

“They will remember it in that way, that they came through this.

“For some children, they will definitely have been exposed to more complex situations than you would want them to be exposed to.

“That will definitely have a long-term impact on them.”