Exclusive:'Pressure-cookers': The mental health toll that has left 1,545 Scottish teachers and nursery staff off a day
The number of days off taken by staff in Scotland’s schools and nurseries due to mental health has soared as SNP ministers were warned a “pressure-cooker” environment is taking its toll.
More than 1.3 million school working days have been taken off for mental ill reasons by school and nursery staff north of the Border since April 2018.
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Hide AdAnd in a worrying trend, the number of days lost over that period has soared by 74 per cent, rising from 172,690 in 2018/19 to 301,314 in 2023/24 - the equivalent of 1,545 staff off each school working day.
Glasgow had the highest number of days lost over the time period, at 173,616, although not all councils provided complete information. The local authority was followed by North Lanarkshire on 102,678 days.


The statistics, which include teachers, support staff and nursery staff, were uncovered by the Scottish Liberal Democrats using Freedom of Information legislation.
The Scottish Government said it had allocated more than £2 million to “specifically support the wellbeing of teachers and school staff” since October 2020, while an additional £100,000 this year will also provide wellbeing coaching.
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Hide AdBut Lib Dem MSP WIllie Rennie called for more to be done to give teachers and staff more support, warning schools are becoming “pressure-cookers”.
He said: “These troubling figures show the mounting toll that mental health absences among teachers and staff are taking across our schools and nurseries.
“From rising violence in classrooms to a lack of support to tackle the attainment gap, the message that successive Scottish education secretaries have sent is that teachers are on their own.
“When learning environments are turning into pressure-cookers, it’s no wonder staff are going off sick.
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Hide Ad“It’s time to stop asking our education staff to perform miracles. I want to see the Government get back to basics by ensuring teachers and staff have the resources and support that they need.”
The statistics show that 172,690 days were lost in 2017/18, but that number has risen in most years until 2023/24.
In 2019/20, the total days lost to mental health was 199,441, while it dropped slightly to 189,862 in 2020/21. But since then it has risen every year, soaring 20 per cent to 227,525 in 2021/22.
From 2021/22, the number of days lost increased an additional 19 per cent to 271,372 in 2022/23. The latest available data shows an annual increase of 11 per cent to 301,314 lost days in 2023/24.
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Hide AdRising school violence has been a source of concern for teaching unions. In September, the Educational Institute of Scotland (EIS) published a survey that found 94 per cent of teachers in Fife had been involved in violent and aggressive incidents in the past four years.
Meanwhile, the NASUWT union previously said 93 per cent of teachers surveyed in Scotland reported the number of pupils exhibiting violent and abusive behaviours had increased. Three-quarters of teachers said it was making the job more stressful, while a fifth said they were suffering with depression, the union said.
In July, The Scotsman told how education secretary Jenny Gilruth had been swamped with concerns and complaints over rising levels of school violence.
A Scottish Government spokesperson said: “The Scottish Government values the education workforce, which is why it is vital to understand their needs and ensure they have the right support they need to carry out their important roles.
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Hide Ad“It is a matter for local authorities how they deliver their statutory obligations around education provision in schools, including the employment of teachers and appropriate welfare support.
“Nonetheless, to support councils in the employment of teachers, the Scottish Government has allocated over £2m to specifically support the wellbeing of teachers and school staff since October 2020.
“An additional £100,000 this year will also provide wellbeing coaching for staff working in both schools and early learning and childcare. Our relationships and behaviour in schools action plan, published in August, also contains a number of specific actions to support the workforce.”
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