Ulster Unionist Party leader and Education spokesperson Jon Burrows MLA has implored Education Minister Paul Givan to tackle teacher workload as a matter of urgency, after members of five teaching unions voted decisively for industrial action.

Jon Burrows MLA said:

“The ballot result should come as no surprise. I have visited schools across Northern Ireland and heard the same concerns time and again: teachers and classroom assistants feel overworked and under-supported.

“The fundamental problem is that there are not enough hours in the day for teachers to fulfil the ever-growing list of responsibilities placed upon them.

“They are expected to deliver high-quality classroom teaching while also managing lesson planning, marking, differentiated learning, special educational needs provision, classroom cover, meetings with parents, engagement with the Education Authority, breaktime and lunchtime supervision, and a growing burden of administration.

“For many, teaching has become the art of doing the impossible. Workloads have reached the point where dedicated professionals are continually asked to sacrifice their evenings, weekends and family time just to keep their schools functioning.

“If we are serious about improving staff wellbeing, retaining experienced teachers and delivering better educational outcomes, the Minister must be prepared to rethink what a teacher's working day looks like.

“That may require a radical reassessment of workload expectations and, indeed, reopening the Jordanstown Agreement to ensure it remains fit for purpose and reflects the realities of modern education.

“Teachers cannot continue to absorb every new responsibility without something giving way. The current model is unsustainable. No one wants to see industrial action, least of all teachers themselves, and so I implore the Education Minister to commit to tackling teacher workload as a matter of urgency.”