From the Teacher Support Network, www.teachersupport.info.

WORK-LIFE BALANCE IS THE KEY TO GOOD HEALTH
Teacher commitment should not be measured in hours and minutes

Some of the most enduring images of the election were the pictures of prospective parliamentary candidates struggling to stay awake as the results flowed in. On television, viewers marvelled as David Dimbleby rolled back the years to bring us the latest political twists and turns during a mammoth 12-hour broadcasting stint.

When deals were being struck, politicians would emerge bleary eyed from meeting rooms in the early hours. They would inform the nation of the latest developments and reaffirm their commitment to work through the night to get the job done in the national interest.

It seemed to me that the very act of putting in long hours was being used as a tangible manifestation of a commitment to the job. And by extension, that should one stick to more reasonable hours that would illustrate a lack of commitment. Should anyone in the new administration question the commitment of teachers they should first digest the following data.

A recent research report from the Scottish Secondary Teachers' Association found that 54 per cent of teachers work 400 extra hours a year. Collected during December, February and March, the workload survey found that more than a quarter of teachers worked between 45 and 50 hours a week, 16 per cent worked between 50 and 55 hours, and 10 per cent worked in excess of 55 hours.

The data reinforces the findings of a 2008 report published by the Office of Manpower Economics that found that headteachers and teachers in England and Wales worked more than 50 hours each week. The Trade Union Congress's annual survey in 2005 found that teachers topped the list for working on average the longest unpaid hours of all professions.

In most careers there comes a time when a heavy workload means that you have to work longer than your contracted hours to get through the work. However, when working extra hours becomes the norm this can negatively impact on personal life and wellbeing.

The dedication teachers across the UK show to their jobs is second to none, relishing as they do their chance to play a profoundly positive role in the education and development of their pupils.

However, this dedication can lead to teachers spending too much of their lives working and too many hours away from their families and personal lives. Long hours can wear down teachers, reducing their resilience and their ability to cope with the stresses and strains of school life. In my experience this can lead to physical and mental health problems over a long period of time.

A healthy work/life balance means a more effective teacher. Schools must work together to ensure that teachers at all levels of responsibility can maintain a positive ratio between their work and personal lives. This will benefit the wellbeing of individual heads and teachers as well as improve standards at the school.

So, as we move into a new political era, we can only hope that those responsible for the education sector have had good nights' sleep after their extensive negotiations; spent some times with their families to get their task ahead into perspective, and taken account of the research that shows the lengths that teachers go to do their jobs.

For while Mr Dimbleby can take the next week off to recover from his broadcasting excursions, teachers the length and breadth of the country feel they have to put their health and wellbeing at risk in order to get the job done.

Schools need to have a working culture where staff wellbeing is taken seriously. Tackling issues before they become problems is much more cost effective than ignoring them until they become crises. If staff are healthy, motivated and supported, they can draw on their personal fortitude and creativity to see a way through even the most difficult situations.

By way of an aside, an anonymous questionnaire completed by 94 MPs, 100 Lords and 151 parliamentary staff in 2008, found that 86 per cent of MPs said their jobs were stressful. Add fatigue and low status and these parliamentarians have a rare insight into the life of a teacher, an insight that I hope will inform the way the education sector is viewed.