Government accepts cut in teachers’ hours

Teachers’
working weeks should be cut from 52 to 45 hours, an official report by the
School Teachers Review Body says.

The
Government accepted the recommendation, after the report dismissed a case put
forward by unions that teachers’ hours should be limited to 35.

Education
secretary Estelle Morris said it is important that teachers spend their time
teaching – not doing work that can be done by others.

But
Doug McAvoy, general secretary of the National Union of Teachers, said the
cutback on hours does not go far enough.

By Quentin Reade