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Stressed, Depressed and Exhausted: Six Years as a Teacher in UK State Education

Author

Listed:
  • Robin Burrow

    (Cardiff University, UK)

  • Rachel Williams

    (Cardiff University, UK)

  • Daniel Thomas

    (Unaffiliated School Teacher)

Abstract

This article foregrounds the experiences of a newly qualified teacher – ‘Daniel’ – in the state education sector in the United Kingdom. It provides an insight into the under-explored realities of teaching work and an empirical connection with a segment of the UK public sector that successive governments have positioned as central to economic and social prosperity. It centres on why nine out of ten teachers who participated in the 2017 National Skills and Employment Survey reported that they ‘often’ or ‘always’ come home from work exhausted. In doing so, it also helps to explain why 33% of newly qualified teachers leave within five years of qualifying. Through Daniel’s story, 40 years of neoliberal reform to the UK education system is contextualised and shown to have intensified latent contradictions by stripping teachers of time and the freedom to operate and innovate.

Suggested Citation

  • Robin Burrow & Rachel Williams & Daniel Thomas, 2020. "Stressed, Depressed and Exhausted: Six Years as a Teacher in UK State Education," Work, Employment & Society, British Sociological Association, vol. 34(5), pages 949-958, October.
    • Handle: RePEc:sae:woemps:v:34:y:2020:i:5:p:949-958
    DOI: 10.1177/0950017020903040
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    References listed on IDEAS

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    1. McGovern, Patrick, 2014. "Contradictions at work: a critical review," LSE Research Online Documents on Economics 45188, London School of Economics and Political Science, LSE Library.
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    Cited by:

    1. Ming Guan, 2021. "Associations Between Perceptions of the Work Environment and Job Burnout Based on MIMIC Models Among 679 Knowledge Workers," SAGE Open, , vol. 11(1), pages 21582440219, March.

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