More burnout complaints in education
The burnout percentage in education has risen for the fourth year in a row. Again in 2019, against the national trend. This is evident from figures from the National Working Conditions Survey by TNO and the Central Bureau of Statistics.
Picture: Type tank
More than a quarter of all teachers in the Netherlands suffers from burnout complaints. This makes education the most sensitive profession for burnout. The results of the National Labor Conditions Survey appeared in mid-April, but did not attract attention due to the outbreak of the corona virus.
Percentage that is struggling with burnout complaints
| 2014 | 2015 | 2016 | 2017 | 2018 | 2019 | |
| average | 14,4 percent | 13,4 percent | 14,6 percent | 15,9 percent | 17,3 percent | 17 percent |
| teachers | 23,8 percent | 20,2 percent | 22,8 percent | 24,6 percent | 25,2 percent | 27,4 percent |
The national survey examines all aspects of working conditions, from heavy lifting to noise pollution, from autonomy to aggression, from job satisfaction to work pressure. The research shows that 'managing directors' are least affected by stress, while teachers are at the top of the career list when it comes to burnout complaints.
Heavy
The percentage of burnout complaints among teachers is 27,4 percent, far above the national average of 17 percent. It is striking that people in education of all professional groups are the most satisfied with their job. But that does not mean that teachers find working in education difficult and that burnout complaints are the highest of all professional groups.
This seems to be mainly due to the amount of work, because the topic 'doing a lot of work' is at the top of the workload factors. Incidentally, together with, for example, doctors, lawyers and managers of the catering and retail trade.
Burn-out complaints in 2019 per occupation
| Teachers | 27,4 percent |
| Lawyers | 22,7 percent |
| Social workers | 21,1 percent |
| Doctors and therapists | 21 percent |
| Hospitality and retail managers | 20,3 percent |
| Carers | 18,3 percent |
| Government Officials and Directors | 17,4 percent |
| Leaders childcare and teaching assistants | 15,7 percent |
| Gardeners, arable farmers and livestock farmers | 14,3 percent |
| Managing Directors | 6,5 percent |
There are also differences between teachers: teachers of general subjects in secondary education and MBO top the list with one in three suffering from burnout complaints. Teachers in higher professional education, academic higher education and professors have the least problems with workload complaints in the education sector, but still much more than the national average for professions.
Percentage of teachers struggling with burnout complaints
| General subjects secondary and mbo | 31,9 percent |
| Profession-oriented subjects secondary and mbo | 28,2 percent |
| Primary education | 27,3 percent |
| Higher education and professors | 24 percent |
The figures up to the level of teachers and sectors can be found via a tool made especially for the survey. Before 2020, TNO and Statistics Netherlands will be conducting a completely different study into the effects of the crisis on working conditions.
Scare
Eugenie Stolk, president of the AOb: "Unfortunately, we have known for years that the burnout percentage is relatively high, but it is still a shock. For example, you would expect that the workload resources in primary education have an influence on these complaints, but perhaps it is still too early for that. " At the same time, other circumstances actually encourage stress. The teacher shortage is putting an increasing burden on the staff. And the corona period with online education will only increase the workload, Stolk thinks
According to the AObchairman, the policymakers also know where the solutions lie, but there is simply not enough money being made available for this. “Smaller classes are not free. More teachers, so that fewer teaching hours are required, costs money. Among other things for salaries, so that we can make the profession attractive again and new colleagues enter the market."
Also read: 'Education remains champion burnout'
