UK headteachers quit as cuts push them to the edge

As reported by The Guardian, with a strike ballot looming, school leaders say erosion of services for children and families has made their jobs untenable

Headteachers are breaking down in tears, suffering migraines and even passing out, with six in 10 admitting they have considered changing jobs in the past year because of increased level of stress.

The National Association of Head Teachers (NAHT) union says more school leaders than ever before are considering leaving the profession, and ‘fewer and fewer’ middle leaders are aspiring to take on the job because they see how punishing it is. They are balloting members on strike action, with a deadline of 11 January, but a spokesperson said school closures would remain a ‘last resort’.

Scottish teachers took strike action last month and have more days of action planned in the next few weeks.

Paul Whiteman, NAHT general secretary, told the Observer: “The anger and even despair we are hearing from our members right now is unprecedented. School leaders are telling me they cannot continue to run their schools in the current circumstances.”

An annual survey of wellbeing of school staff in England, Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland, published before Christmas by the charity Education Support, found stress had reached epidemic proportions among heads, with 87% of senior leaders saying they had experienced poor mental health as a result of their work, and 58% saying they had actively sought to change or leave their jobs in the past year.