Issue link: https://maltatoday.uberflip.com/i/1367395
3 maltatoday | SUNDAY • 2 MAY 2021 NEWS JAMES DEBONO MALTESE teachers in second- ary schools tend to be the young- est in Europe but also among the most stressed and least satisfied with their pay, a report by the Eurodice network shows. The report 'Teachers in Eu- rope: Careers, Development and Wellbeing', a survey con- ducted in 2018, indicates that one major cause of stress for Maltese teachers is that of con- forming with changes enacted by the authorities. 46.3% of Maltese teachers in the early secondary school years are under 35 years of age – the highest percentage in the 39 countries assessed in the re- port. Only 12.4% of Maltese teach- ers at this level are over 55. On- ly Turkey had a lower percent- age of over-55s (6.3%). Maltese teachers were also the fourth most likely among the European countries sur- veyed to report experiencing "quite a lot of stress". Nearly two thirds (64%) of Maltese teachers in lower secondary schools reported some form of stress, with 29% reporting ex- periencing a lot of stress. Moreover a stress index as- sessing different factors, in- cluding mental and physical health, shows that Maltese teachers are the fifth most stressed in Europe. Throughout Europe, almost 50% of lower secondary school teachers experience stress at work. In 12 education systems, including Malta, more than 50% of teachers report experi- encing stress 'quite a bit' or 'a lot'. In Portugal, almost 90% of teachers reported being stressed, as did 70% of teach- ers in Hungary and the United Kingdom. In Belgium, Malta and Ice- land, the share of teachers ex- periencing 'a lot' of stress is 10 percentage points higher than in the EU. At the other end of the spec- trum are teachers working in Romania and Turkey, where only one out of five teachers reported experiencing stress at work. More than 60% of Maltese teachers experienced stress due to changing requirements from the authorities. 'Keeping up with changing requirements from authorities' was the fourth most reported source of stress in the countries surveys. In the Netherlands, fewer than 20 % of teachers are concerned by this, while in France, Malta, Lithuania and Portugal more than 60 % of teachers reported this kind of stress. The report also shows that Maltese teachers are among the least satisfied with their pay, with only 18% saying that they are satisfied. It also shows that Maltese teachers spend 18% of their time planning les- sons which is one of the highest in the countries surveyed. jdebono@mediatoday.com.mt Proportion of lower secondary teachers experiencing stress Malta EU Quite a bit 35.3% 30.8% A lot 28.5% 16% Countries with high- est stress levels Respondents cited 'lots of stress' UK 38.2% Portugal 34.8% Hungary 31.5% Malta 28.5% Belgium 26.6% Stress Index Score Based on teachers' answers on a variety of topics related to mental health, physical health and free time Portugal 11% UK 10.3% Latvia 9.7% Bulgaria 9.6% Malta 9.4% Satisfaction with pay Least satisfied by country Iceland 6.2% Portugal 9.4% Lithuania 11.1% Malta 17.9% Slovakia 17.9% EU 28 37.8% % of time spent on planning lessons Hungary 17.9% Malta 17.5% Denmark 17.2% Slovenia 17.1% Austria 16.8% Highest percentage of teahers under 35 in lower secondary Malta 46.3% UK 40.7% Belgium 31.4% Norway 30.5% Luxembourg 30.2% "One major cause of stress for Maltese teachers is that of conforming with changes enacted by the authorities" Malta has high rate of teachers reporting severe stress Nearly two thirds (64%) of Maltese teachers in lower secondary schools reported some form of stress, with 29% reporting experiencing a lot of stress Malta 35.3% of secondary teachers experience 'quite a bit of stress', 28% say 'a lot' 17.9% Fourth highest in EU not to be satis- fied with their pay 17.5% Second highest in EU in time spent on planning lesson 46% Highest percenat- ge of teachers under 35 years in lower second- ary