Teachers need the help of parents to come out of this time of crisis for education
Teachers are leaving the profession in droves, and those who aren’t are currently on strike. The education sector needs the support of parents to exit from this time of crisis, writes Maria Taylor
Productivity is expected to take a hit in England today and on Friday, and it’s not because Wimbledon has started, but because teachers have gone on strike.
Ultimately, we all want teachers back in the classroom, whether you’re a parent forced to re-enact the home schooling we all got so used to during the pandemic or a business that can expect productivity to drop.
But while the headlines all seem to focus on money, underneath the surface there are plenty more different issues facing teachers than just what they take home each month.
The sector is facing a crisis of confidence with teachers leaving in droves. Those who stay say that classrooms are still struggling from the aftermath of Covid-19 and behaviour has become more challenging.
According to the Department for Education, 40,000 teachers – almost 9 per cent – left the state school sector in 2021-22 before retirement. Further data from the Crisis Prevention Institute found there was a 12.4 per cent increase in the previous year. On top of that, 12.5 per cent of newly qualified teachers leave the profession after just 12 months.
We also found that four out of five teachers point to disruptive behaviour as a major contributing factor for leaving. One in three said they had received no training for managing this kind of behaviour and of those who did, only 32 per cent said they felt the training had been properly implemented in their school.
Teachers clearly want to feel safe and many said poorer behaviour since the pandemic has failed to improve. Post-pandemic teaching environments are requiring educators to address more student anxiety and trauma than ever before, as students and teachers re-acclimate to in-person learning.
But one particularly worrying issue is how often the teachers refer to feeling like they aren’t getting enough support from parents. Some teachers reported parents actively encouraged ill-discipline, while others said they felt parents were struggling with their own anxiety.
The point here isn’t about blaming parents, yet it’s important to scrutinise the role they can play in ensuring teachers feel safe. It may sound simplistic but happy parents tend to mean happy children, leading to happy teachers.
Too often the education profession can end up siloed. I know from experience that teachers can put in place all the right safeguards and training to help pupils who are struggling, but without parents on the same page, the work can be less effective.
One route to supporting parents is for employers to recognise the extra demands those employees face. Flexibility has certainly improved in the workplace and this will have a huge impact for parents, finally able to talk with teachers at school gates.
But with the cost-of-living crisis, rising inflation and mortgage payments soaring for families, employers may also want to consider offering further support, either through better access to mental health services, extra days off or help with childcare advice.
This will allow parents to engage more productively with schools and teachers, while ensuring they can also be more productive in the workplace.
We have found that simple things can go a long way, like keeping parents in the loop regarding classroom expectations, and giving them a clear understanding of what they can expect from teachers.
But without the flexibility required from employers, this will prove tricky. We need to do more to educate bosses so they understand that supporting staff will mean better results for their clients and customers. It will reduce the amount of time away from work for parents of children who might be struggling and, ultimately, it could mean a better environment for teachers and fewer days like today.