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SCMP Reporter

SCMP, October 7, 2002

By Felix Chan

At least 10 per cent of the teachers have thought of hurting themselves or their family members because of pressure at work, a survey has found.

The Democratic Alliance for Betterment of Hong Kong survey of 1,022 teachers from 34 schools found that 55.4 per cent experienced heavy work pressure, with almost 20 per cent of those surveyed describing it as extreme.

Frequently changing education policies caused the most pressure (77.3 per cent), followed by pupils' problems (54.8 per cent) and meeting school expectations (52.5 per cent). More than half of the teachers said they had felt sick, and 44.7 per cent had suffered from insomnia as a result of work pressure.

Thirty-nine per cent said they became depressed and moody, and more than 10 per cent said such symptoms were of a severe nature. Nearly 78 per cent said the pressure had affected the quality of their teaching.

The survey also found that 62 per cent chose to talk their problems over with friends and relatives, while eight per cent had wept.

More than 85 per cent said the most efficient way to ease pressure would be to have extra resources and staff to help handle administrative work. A further 74 per cent said reducing class sizes would provide a remedy.

Eleven per cent of the teachers polled said they had thought of injuring themselves or those around them. Of those, more than 80 per cent were aged between 20 and 39, and 61 per cent had been teaching for fewer than 10 years.

Survey organiser and psychologist Dr Angelis Chan Joy-kong said the findings showed that the pressure put on teachers had already exceeded bearable limits.

'This problem [has] buried a time-bomb for our future as the price of over burdening teachers is not paid by them alone, but also our next generation and the whole education system,' he said.

DAB legislator Chan Kam-lam said the government should reduce class sizes and consult teachers more on education policy.

'We also urge the authorities to implement a mentor system in schools in which each new entrant teacher will be assigned an experienced teacher to serve as mentor to advise on their work and ways to handle pressure,' he said.

Legislator Cheung Man-kwong, president of the Hong Kong Professional Teachers' Union, said teachers, especially those teaching languages, often complained to his union about being forced to work a seven-day week.

The Education and Manpower Bureau said that over the years it had introduced various schemes to ease teachers' workloads. It said as each school had different needs, it was up to their own management to decide how to use extra resources.

Glossary

extreme (adj) at the far ends of a scale; in the article, it means 20 per cent of the teachers polled felt intense pressure at work.

insomnia (n) difficulty falling asleep or remaining asleep for the night

moody (adj) temperamental; given to unpredictable changes of mood. There are other ways to describe being annoyed, depressed and sluggish: Example: He is cross about the rapid changes in education policy. Example: Hong Kong was down in the dumps when many high-hope athletes lost in their respective sports events. Example: Hong Kong's film industry may be in the doldrums, but the recipe for revival does not, and should not, lie in the authorities giving the money to anchor film-makers' ideas on celluloid. (SCMP, September 9, 2002)

remedy (n) treatment to an error or illness

mentor (n) someone who gives tips and advice, especially related to careers

Discussion points

? You are a school newspaper reporter and have just been given the findings of the survey about teachers' work pressure. You prepare a follow-up interview with your teachers. What questions will you ask?

? Who else will you interview?

? How can you help them to deal with work pressure? What can you and your classmates do to cheer up your teachers?

email: ypost@scmp.com



Stress turns teachers' thoughts to self-harm