Posted on March 1, 2011 in In Schools by admin
Bullying is perhaps more common between staff in schools than it is between students. The world-wide teacher shortage, huge workload, lack of appreciation, political denigration, reduced resources and ever-higher work targets have stressed the profession. The modern teacher has a complex job that incorporates education, parenting, mentoring, research and social work.
Teachers are not only expected to teach (and sometimes to teach subjects for which they have no specialist qualifications), they are also expected to share responsibility for children’s social education (because time-poor parents are working long hours), to handle discipline and behaviour problems, and to take on welfare roles (coordinating breakfast programs, buying books for homeless pupils, helping to sort out problems with families, and so on).
Add to that the pressures of inadequate funding, inadequate staff and resources, job insecurity, large class sizes, an ever-expanding curriculum, ongoing skills training, work correction, student reports, parent-teacher interviews and after-school activities, and it is understandable that they would suffer high levels of stress.
