Managing Stress in Education

Education and Health are two of the five sectors that have been identified by the Health & Safety Executive where the incidence & prevalence of work-related stress is greatest.

Joint research from the Chartered Institute of Personnel & Development and the Health and Safety Executive shows that a manager’s behaviour can have a major impact on employees’ stress levels affecting the well-being of employees and organisational performance. With over 5 million employees in the UK reporting that they feel extremely stressed at work, this is an increasing problem for all organisations.

One of the key factors to making the positive changes required is to be able to reduce the amount of short & long term stress-related sickness absence. Stress management training for managers & employees following the HSE’s risk assessment approach will enable organisations to make a real and measurable difference. This can include:

          • Better monitoring of sickness leave,
          • Regular contact between managers and sick employees,
          • Back-to-work agreements, and
          • Flexible working arrangements to make their return to work easier.

These are all seen as examples of best practice that help to reduce absenteeism and the staggering associated costs that work-related stress incurs.

 

Managing Stress In Schools

According to the Health & Safety Executive, “Stress is the predominant cause of work-related illness in the Education sector”.

A recent report by the HSE found 43% of teachers reported themselves ‘highly stressed’, more than any other profession!

There are a great many causes for the high level of stress found in schools today that is affecting teachers of all levels & experience, as well as the pupils themselves, who also have an ever increasing number of pressures to deal with both in & out of school.

The table below shows some of the main causes of stress that can be found in schools today. Very often it is not any single factor but a multi layered effect that can overwhelm the individual making it difficult for them to identify the true cause/s of their stress.

Key Teacher Related Stress Factors
(Factors marked with * are from Tackling Stress NUT, 2000).

• Long & unsocial hours. *	• Political & Media criticism. *
• Excessive workloads. *	• Constant change, often politically generated.
• Low pay awards.	• Lack of parental support or pressure.
• Poor management */colleague relationships.	• Disruptive or unco-operative pupils. *
• Providing cover for shortages & absences. *	• Child protection issues.
• Unnecessary bureaucracy. *	• Cyber bullying by pupils.
• Ofstead Inspections. *	• Bullying in school by pupils &/or colleagues.
• SAT’s, marking & record keeping.	• Lack of support.
• League tables & target setting.	• Low self-esteem *

Pupil Related Stress Factors

• Exam pressure & anxiety.	• Family bereavement.
• Peer pressure.	• Loss of friends, bereavement/moving away.
• Bullying, in & out of school.	• Illness requiring hospital stay.
• Pupils’ parents separating/divorce.	• Pupil had broken off a steady relationship.
• Financial problems at home.	• Difficult relationship with a teacher/s

 

Secondary school teacher Muriel Benson won £47,000 damages in an out-of-court settlement against Wirral local education authority in 1999. She had been forced to retire after suffering stress for years due to excessive workload and other pressures.

Many teachers regrettably still leave the profession to find the much needed work-life balance & prevent the consequences of mental ill health caused by the considerable work-place stress they currently experience. Action is needed now to tackle stress in teaching & the educational sectors and there does now seem to be a general agreement from all agencies on this.

Under UK law, employers have a legal duty of care to ensure their employees are not harmed by work-related stress. They also have a duty to assess the risk arising from hazards at work, including stress.

Solutions 4 Stress is able to offer stress management training programmes specifically designed for:

Headteachers & managers, Teachers, Students & Pupils.

Programmes can be provided on request. All are flexible & can accommodate the specific needs of each individual school or college.

A sample of other topics currently available from Solutions4stress can be found by going to:

 

Stress Management Training

Each adult course is suited for 6 – 12 people. Small variations may be possible depending on the topics.

Pupil programmes, depending on class size, will be given to half the class at a time.

Comprehensive course notes will be provided & certificates of attendance if required.

Alternatively if required Solutions 4 Stress can provide:

 

Individual Consultancy Services

 

Solutions 4 Stress provides in-house training courses & individual consultancy services for public and private sector organisations to help identify, reduce and manage stress within the workplace, whilst providing the skills to help increase performance as well as enhancing both lifestyle & well-being.

Please CONTACT US for further details or call 07511 271777 to discuss your requirements.

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