Sustain safe and secure working conditions!
Teachers, trainers, academics, and other education personnel play a crucial role in shaping the future of our society, but their well-being is often overlooked. Research shows that there is a strong connection between their working conditions and their high stress levels, which in turn affects their job satisfaction and retention rates. The COVID-19 pandemic has made things worse, with constant switches between open and closed education institutions causing disruption in the teaching and learning process. Hybrid and online teaching have also led to significant work-related stress for teachers, trainers, academics, and other education personnel, negatively impacting their well-being.
This concerns both mental and physical well-being. Governments and policymakers need to take effective measures to improve the safety and well-being of teachers, trainers, academics, and other education personnel by ensuring sustainable working conditions, promoting positive working environments, and providing support from peers, school leaders, and the wider community. Inclusive and sustainable workplaces that enhance occupational health and safety, and work-life balance, should be provided to all education staff. Improving the health literacy of education staff is also essential to raise awareness of the importance of health and safety measures, as well as for risk assessment in education.
To increase the attractiveness of teaching, permanent contracts must replace fixed-term contracts to address the issue of unpredictable and often unregulated working hours.
Toolkit
