Teaching union bids for improved 'working hours'

A leading teaching union wants to see better pay and conditions in Guernsey

Teachers in Guernsey are leaving the profession because of poor job satisfaction relating to pay and conditions, a teaching union has said.

The National Association of Schoolmasters Union of Women Teachers (NASUWT) said it was in talks with the States of Guernsey to negotiate changes to "terms and working conditions" to address problems with staff retention.

It comes as a States and Trade Unions' backed survey shows half of teachers in state-run secondary settings would not recommend the profession to others.

While admitting there is "more to be done" president of the Committee for Education, Sport & Culture, Deputy Andrea Dudley-Owen said the 2024 survey would be used bring in future improvements.

National negotiating official for NASUWT, Wayne Bates, said the union is pushing for improvements to teacher's terms, including working hours, ahead of the next academic year.

The changes would look to address the increasing workloads and pupil behavioural issues teachers face.

'Churn of staff'

He said: "When you look at some of the responses to the recent survey it does paint quite a bleak picture of people's perceptions of working in the education system.

"The churn of staff isn't normal or healthy - it's actually people leaving the profession because they don't want to be here anymore.

"We have started some work with the education department and the States to see how we address this."

Mr Bates said separate negotiations over pay are also taking place with the Policy and Resources Committee.

Dudley-Owen said: "We have to support our staff as much as we possibly can to be the best they can be.

"The governance process adds a lot of value to that, in allowing senior leaders to be reflective about what goes on in their schools about how they support their staff and what wider initiatives need to be put in place by the education office."