Teacher Workloads in Northern Ireland Deemed Unsustainable
Teacher workloads in Northern Ireland have been described as "unsustainable" by Brian Banks, a post-primary teacher at an integrated school in Belfast. Banks highlighted that these workload challenges have a significant "knock on effect" on pupils' learning experiences.
This statement coincides with research conducted by Dublin City University (DCU) in partnership with St Mary's University College in Belfast, which revealed that 91% of teachers in Northern Ireland are experiencing work-related burnout.
More than 600 teachers across Northern Ireland participated in the survey, with 46% indicating they were likely to leave the profession due to burnout.
Banks, who also serves as the junior vice president of the teaching union NASUWT and co-founded a campaign group addressing teacher workload, emphasized the extent of the issue, stating that teachers often "bring their work home."
"The problem with workloads is they are never-ending," Banks said, adding that their to-do lists were "impossible to achieve."
The Department of Education responded by noting that the minister commissioned a panel last May to examine workload issues and has committed to publishing a plan addressing these concerns in the near future.
Banks shared his personal experience, revealing that prior to his post-primary teaching role, he worked in further education and suffered from burnout himself. His general practitioner signed him off work for three months and advised him to find another job.
"That's what many teachers do," Banks remarked.
School head teachers have also previously described the pressures within their institutions as "exhausting and untenable."
In January, teacher unions in Northern Ireland accepted a 4% pay increase for 2025-26 after workload concerns were cited as reasons for rejecting pay deals in previous years.
The World Health Organisation (WHO) recognises burnout as an occupational phenomenon resulting from prolonged and unmanaged workplace stress. According to the WHO, burnout is characterized by three key features: emotional exhaustion, depersonalisation, and reduced personal accomplishment.
Research Findings on Teacher Burnout
The research, conducted between November 2025 and January 2026, gathered over 600 responses from primary and post-primary teachers in Northern Ireland.
It found that 95% of respondents identified workload as a contributor to burnout, while 59% pointed to unrealistic parental expectations. Additionally, 46% cited challenges associated with working with pupils with special educational needs as a factor contributing to burnout.
Teachers were also asked to self-rate their mental health over the past year. Thirty-two percent of respondents rated their mental health as poor or very poor, and among those, 16% reported that their mental health negatively affected their ability to engage in teaching and learning with pupils.
Dr Sabrina Fitzsimons from DCU emphasized that the study serves as a reminder that burnout cannot be addressed "through temporary measures or initiatives focused solely on enhancing teacher resilience in the face of ongoing stressors."
"Meaningful systemic change" is necessary to "rebuild the conditions of teaching for the long term," she stated.
Paul Hazzard from St Mary's University College, Belfast, added:
"When we protect the wellbeing of the teacher, we protect the quality of our children's future.
"If we are serious about the future of education, we must be serious about protecting the wellbeing of teachers.
"Supporting teachers is an urgent moral responsibility. Simply, there is no route to educational excellence without teacher wellbeing."
