Recent analysis has revealed that nearly 14,000 teachers in England were absent due to illness each day on average last year.
Data from the Department for Education (DfE) indicates that around 2.5 million school days were lost in the 2022-23 academic year, with over 326,000 teachers reporting sick leave. This equates to approximately eight days of sick leave per teacher on average. During the 190 school days of the academic year, nearly 13,700 teachers were absent daily. According to DfE’s workforce statistics, around 66.2% of England’s teaching staff missed school due to illness, a substantial increase from the pre-pandemic rate of 54.1%.
These findings suggest that post-pandemic absence rates remain high, continuing to disrupt education, while pupil absences have also increased since COVID-19.
Since in-person learning resumed, a total of 7.8 million school days have been lost to teacher illness, based on DfE data analyzed by the TaxPayers’ Alliance. Compared to the 2018-19 academic year—before the pandemic—an additional 461,500 teaching days were lost last year due to staff illness. Although slightly down from 67.5% in 2021-22, the figures remain concerning.
Joanna Marchong, investigations campaign manager at the TaxPayers’ Alliance, commented: “Taxpayers will be concerned by the high number of sick days among teachers. Along with their substantial holiday time, the frequent absences among hundreds of thousands of teachers leave classrooms unsettled, with taxpayers covering the costs for substitute teachers. Schools must address this issue to provide consistent education and good value for taxpayers.”
Pepe Di’Iasio, general secretary of the Association of School and College Leaders, urged the Government to take action to reduce the significant expenditure on agency staff. He stated, “The latest Working Lives of Teachers and Leaders survey shows that most teachers and leaders feel their roles negatively affect their physical and mental health. A comprehensive government strategy is needed to enhance teacher well-being and reduce workloads.
“Improving work conditions is crucial if the Government aims to resolve the recruitment and retention crisis that has left schools relying on supply staff at considerable expense.”
Although the Government does not centrally collect data on the specific reasons behind teacher absences, experts have cited rising stress levels and declining mental health as significant factors. In some secondary schools, up to 166 teachers took sick leave at some point in the 2022-23 school year.
A DfE spokesperson stated, “Teachers play a vital role in supporting children’s futures, and this government is committed to restoring teaching as a valued and attractive profession. The day-to-day absences represent a small fraction of the almost half a million teachers within the workforce.”