I was saddened but not surprised to read in TES that “suicide among teachers is increasing†(“Pushed to the brinkâ€, 1 June). Although suicide is an emotive subject, the other issue of potentially greater impact is the estimated “40,000 teachers who leave mid-career each year†at a cost of #163;750 million to replace. My fear is that, as schools face stresses and pressures like never before, we will see a rise not in suicides, one hopes, but in those headteachers and teachers who decide that they have simply had enough. Commitment, passion, resilience and hope can be kept alive only when teachers receive support that addresses their personal and professional development needs. Investment in support of this kind could go a long way to maintaining and increasing levels of retention in our schools.
Viv Grant, Director, Integrity Coaching.
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