Third teachers' survey goes out

Teachers are being encouraged to complete Jersey’s third school teachers’ survey – an anonymous questionnaire that addresses various aspects of their work in order to develop future policies and practice in schools.

The survey, which launched in 2015 and is carried out every two years, asks teaching staff at Government and private schools to comment on a range of topics and is produced by Children, Young People, Education and Skills in partnership with the teaching unions.

Results of the first survey resulted in the production of a Guidance on Marking and Planning, which teachers can comment on in the latest survey. Comments from the previous survey has led to an ongoing project looking at effective use of data in schools.

Although the previous teachers’ survey, published in September 2018, revealed that 83 per cent of teachers in Jersey were satisfied with their roles, with the majority saying that ‘interactions and relationships with pupils’ was what they enjoyed the most, many raised issues about workload, classroom practice and student behaviour. This year’s survey includes further questions on the number of hours worked and how these are split over tasks, as well as new questions about teacher and pupil wellbeing.

The Minister for Education, Senator Tracey Vallois, said: "We value our teachers and, in order to support them, we need to tap into their knowledge and experience so that we can help them do their jobs more effectively, ultimately ensuring that our children and young people get the best education possible. Teachers should be assured that their comments really do have a direct impact on the work of the Department."

The Group Director of Education, Seán O’Regan, said: "I hope teachers will take the opportunity to anonymously voice their views and shape future policies. We have already taken steps to address workload issues with a Guidance on Marking and Planning, and work is also underway to assess the way teachers use data. In the past, response rates have been around 50 per cent and we would like to exceed that this year."

Hard copies of the survey have been delivered to schools and teachers can also complete an online version. Results are expected to be available before the end of this academic year.