Exclusive:Teacher tells SNP she quit after suffering panic attacks over 'unfathomable' 60-hour workload

A probationary teacher has told SNP ministers how she was left suffering panic attacks after being expected to work more than 60 hours a week without support in a chaotic Scottish school.

The secondary teacher started working in Edinburgh this year, but quit after four weeks because of the stress. In a letter, seen by The Scotsman, the teacher has now written to Education Secretary Jenny Gilruth to highlight her experience and call for change.

She said probationary teachers at the school received no training on inset days, no tour of the school and no detail about behaviour policies. The state of the classroom, meanwhile, was said to have been “disgusting”.

The teacher described the workload as “unfathomable” and it left her “completely drowning”. She said: “I was at my desk at 7.30am every day and would be in school till 5pm minimum and then continued to work at home.

Pupils in a classroom. | PA

“I was working on average 12-14 hours per day. I found myself completely unable to switch off and struggled to concentrate on conversations with my partner. I was unable to sleep as I was going over the workload and lessons in my head.

“The post-it notes and lists were beginning to look like ‘War and Peace’. I worked out that I was working over 60 hours per week and my hourly rate of pay was £10.26.

“I appreciate this was at the start of my ‘career’, but my body was soon reacting to the stress and I became ill with migraines, shortness of breath and gut problems.”

The teacher left after being sick and suffering a panic attack one Thursday morning.

A school teacher looking stressed next to piles of classroom books.

She wrote: “The relief and weight lifted was instant. I felt sad for the classes and pupils I had left behind, but knew immediately it was the right thing. I am now one of the one in five who won’t complete the year.”

The letter went on to describe how much of the job was spent on “policing tech use by learners and trying to manage behaviour”. The teacher said: “There are simply too many issues, too many behavioural challenges and too many levels and abilities that it becomes impossible for one teacher to deal with.

“There seems to be this acceptance in teaching that you just work endless hours, the day never ends, the lists never end. You are expected to be an ‘agent of change’; a counsellor, a policewoman, a manager, a motivational speaker, a secretary.”

Ms Gilruth was told the teacher felt “failed” by a system that did not give her sufficient “support and guidance”.

The letter said: “The system is a mess and I find it sad that competent, hard working and creative people like myself are leaving the ‘profession’ before they have ever really started it. But I will never do a job that is that damaging to my physical and mental health.”

The SNP manifesto in 2021 promised not only to increase the number of teachers and classroom assistants by 3,500 during this Parliament, but to reduce teachers’ daily contact time with classes by 90 minutes per week. The party said the pledge would give teachers “the time they need to lift standards”.

However, neither commitment is on track to being delivered by the next Holyrood election in 2026.

A Scottish Government spokesperson said: "The Education Secretary will respond to this letter in due course and would like to meet with this individual to discuss their experiences."

Cllr Joan Griffiths Education, children and families convener at Edinburgh City Council, said: “The city of Edinburgh employs over 3,000 teachers, many of whom are in the early stages of their career.

“Health and wellbeing of learners and staff is very important to us, and we regularly provide guidance and training to leaders and their teams. Any member of staff, with concerns about workload or health and wellbeing, particularly those who are new to the profession is encouraged to discuss this with their line manager.”