A return to industrial action could be on the agenda in schools across Northern Ireland with teachers still waiting for the implementation of a workload agreement.
It comes after a new report into workloads from the Think1265 teacher-led campaign group has shown little has changed since agreement was reached to end industrial action earlier this year, with teachers reporting that workload is “still the most pressing issue facing them’ in the workplace”.
The report said that rather than implement new structures as promised, the education system is still relying on the goodwill of teachers to go above and beyond their normal duties to ensure the smooth running of the system.
Only 16% of respondents described their workload as “reasonable” while 93% of teachers said they cannot normally complete their work within school working hours.
Among those responding, 90.6% also said their working life was ‘stressful’ with 94.2% saying they would vote for action short of strike if the current situation failed to improve.
“Teachers stood down from industrial action based on three promises from the management side. While both the pay and workforce review aspects of the pay agreement are either implemented or underway, our survey reveals that many aspects of the workload agreement are not in place,” the report said.
“The simple fact is that this will not implement itself, and far too many schools are depending on either the staff goodwill, staff fear, or staff ignorance about their rights.
“Meanwhile staff are crying out for a return to action short of strike, simply so they can get their heads above water and focus their efforts on teaching and learning.”
While the report says neither continuing to rely on goodwill nor action short of strike is “viable in the longer term”, a teaching union has said it will now “digest the report and decide on the next steps”.
Justin McCamphill, national official with the NASUWT added: “Most teachers will not be surprised by these findings. Teachers are telling the NASUWT again and again that workload is still the most pressing issue facing them at this time.
“It is of particular concern that so many teachers are working in schools where no attempt at all has been made to implement the agreement.
“It is intolerable that for 68.5% of respondents their school failed in its obligations to provide that. But it is also a matter of serious concern that provision of time budgets in themselves has not addressed the concerns of teachers when 84% are reporting that their workload is unreasonable.”
The Department of Education said: “Teachers’ terms and conditions of service are negotiated through the Teachers’ Negotiating Committee (TNC).
“Through TNC an agreed workload agreement was produced which explains the requirements of the 1265 directed hours of a full-time teacher. To support principals in the design and implementation of directed time budgets, explanatory documentation including frequently asked questions and training has been jointly agreed with trade unions. The workload agreement has recently been reviewed through a joint working group which included a senior representative from NASUWT and a revised workload agreement was agreed and issued.
“The workload pressures on teachers are therefore being considered through the recognised and accepted negotiating machinery of TNC.”