Teachers to be allowed to work from home ‘for marking and planning’
18 September 2024, 08:27
Teachers will be told they can work from home for some tasks under Labour plans to tackle the recruitment crisis in schools.
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Headteachers will be able to tell staff that they can do marking and planning tasks from home, according to the Telegraph.
Bridget Phillipson, the Education Secretary, wants to make it easier for teachers to work from home in free periods designated for lesson planning and marking homework - moving them to the beginning or the end of the day.
A government source said: “Unlike its predecessor, this Government is taking the recruitment and retention of teachers seriously, which is why we’re making common-sense changes that enable great teachers to stay in our classrooms.
“These changes are part of a wider reset of the relationship between government and teaching staff to ensure we drive high and rising standards across our schools and deliver better life chances for our children.”
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Critics fear that the boost to flexible working will lead to a reduction in productivity.
The Education Secretary plans to send guidance to schools making it clear that teachers should be allowed to work from home during time set aside for lesson planning and marking.
Daniel Kebede, the general secretary of the National Education Union, said: “The lack of flexibility for teachers is not keeping mothers in the profession in particular. When I started out in the profession it was seen as family friendly, but that is no longer the case. This is a start, and there is more for the Government to do around this.”
