Teachers express job satisfaction and find purpose in their roles, yet advise against careers in the profession.
A recent survey conducted by the National Education Federation (FNE) and the Association for Training and Research in Education and Work (AFIET) has shed light on the main challenges facing teachers in the UK. The survey, involving 4,638 teachers from pre-school to secondary level, was carried out between July 13 and 27, 20XX.
The survey results reveal that nearly eight out of ten teachers feel fulfilled in their professional exercise. However, despite this satisfaction, a majority (73.2%) of teachers would not encourage a young person to choose the teaching career.
One of the main challenges faced by teachers is high job-related stress. The survey found that 44.8% of the teachers spent more time on bureaucratic tasks compared to the previous year, contributing to this stress. The primary stressors are managing student behavior (52%) and low pay (39%), followed by preparing students for standardized tests, working outside contract hours, supporting student mental health, and performing administrative tasks.
Teacher burnout, although decreasing slightly to 53%, remains a significant issue, particularly among female teachers. Burnout is closely related to workload and stress factors. Many teachers report dissatisfaction with pay levels, which influences stress and intentions to leave the profession.
Retention and attrition concerns are also prevalent. Around 16% of teachers intend to leave their jobs, with disparities existing, with Black teachers more likely to plan departure and report worsened mental health symptoms.
Poor working conditions, such as large class sizes, lack of teacher autonomy, and unhealthy learning environments, contribute to teachers leaving or considering leaving their jobs. Beyond pay, these factors are significant contributors to the ongoing teacher shortages, with over 410,000 teaching positions nationally remaining unfilled or filled by underqualified staff.
To address these challenges, many teachers favor collaborative teaching models (co-teaching, team teaching) and expanded support staff to address workload and improve student outcomes. Support for students with specific needs is the most frequent response (19.2%) when asked about priorities for investment in schools. About 11% mentioned the reinforcement of material resources and specialized technicians as a priority, while nearly eight out of ten teachers (18.8%) also advocated for the reinforcement of educational support staff.
In conclusion, the key challenges facing teachers in 20XX are stress from student behavior management and workload, low compensation, burnout, poor working conditions, teacher shortages, and the need for collaborative support systems. These themes emerge consistently across recent national surveys conducted by the National Education Federation, RAND Corporation, and other education research bodies. It is essential to address these challenges to ensure the well-being of teachers and the quality of education for students.
[1] National Education Federation Report, 2025 [2] RAND Corporation Report, 2025 [3] Department for Education Statistics, 2025 [4] Education Endowment Foundation Report, 2025
- Weathering the storm of work-related stress and burnout in the teaching profession requires prompt action, as indicated by the National Education Federation Report, 2025, RAND Corporation Report, 2025, and the Department for Education Statistics, 2025.
- Career development and skills training in the education sector could be crucial to improve teacher satisfaction and retain talent, with a significant number of teachers advocating for collaborative teaching models, reinforcement of educational support staff, and investment in resources as outlined in the Education Endowment Foundation Report, 2025.
