THOUSANDS of days have been taken off work due to teachers’ mental health issues in the last five years, the Chronicle can reveal.
According to a Freedom of Information request, a total of 4,554 days of absence were recorded by Barnsley Council between 2020 and 2025 in what’s been described as a ‘crisis’ by education leaders.
Last year, a total of 22 teachers took off a combined 715 days, all citing ‘mental health-related’ reasons.
According to charity Education Support, 76 per cent of teachers have reported being stressed, with 77 per cent saying that they had experienced poor mental health.
They warned youngsters’ achievements were suffering as a result and called on more support to be given to struggling teachers.
A spokesperson said: “School and college leaders are at the greatest risk of negative health consequences due to their work.
“They report the highest levels of burnout, exhaustion and acute stress.
“These are not isolated findings - they are persistent, systemic, and deeply concerning.
“Education Support is calling for the government to publish a national teacher retention strategies grounded in workplace wellbeing.
“Without coherent, long-term plans to improve wellbeing and reduce attrition, we will continue to lose talented professionals at unsustainable rates.
“If we are serious about retaining talented educators, we must prioritise their wellbeing as a core part of any long-term retention strategy.”
The National Education Union said staff leaving the industry had worsened.
General secretary Daniel Kebede added: “Teachers have no hesitation in doing their utmost for pupils.
“It is a vocation and a profession that takes pride in delivering the best for young people.
“We have to face up to the immense toll this takes on teachers every day.
“It cannot be right that we have a working culture which invades every aspect of a teacher’s life.
“The government’s own figures show that working hours are out of hand and they are getting worse.
“Leaders are forced to stretch staff ever more and the persistent problems with recruitment and retention compound the problem.
“Our members are working long hours in the knowledge there is no army of new colleagues riding to the rescue.
“Underfunding of schools and colleges is at the heart of the problem, but so is the undervaluing of teachers and support staff.
“We need to see a major pay correction not only to attract more into the profession, but also to keep them.
“It is short-sighted of any government to continue to ignore the root-and-branch solutions that are so obviously needed.”
Councillor Robert Frost, cabinet spokesperson for core services, said: “Staff wellbeing is extremely important, particularly when it comes to mental health, and we take our responsibility to support employees seriously.
“The number of teachers absent for mental health‑related reasons varies from year to year.
“This reflects individual circumstances both inside and outside of work.
“Maintained schools provide a range of support for teachers, including access to occupational health services, an employee assistance programme and professional counselling.
“These services are in place to promote wellbeing at work and to support employees during periods of absence and recovery.
“We continue to ensure mental health is treated with the same care and understanding as physical health, and foster an open and supportive culture where employees feel able to seek help when they need it.”
