The pace and extent of change taking place in Northern Ireland’s education sector is causing stressed-out teachers to leave the profession, a leading teachers’ union representative warned yesterday.

Mary Hughes, chair of the Irish National Teachers’ Organisation (INTO), called on Education Minister Caitriona Ruane to halt any further education initiatives to ease stress on teachers.

Mrs Hughes was speaking yesterday at the union’s annual northern conference in Newcastle, where she also urged INTO members to “teach the new curriculum and refuse to be drawn into the grammar school battle for numbers and position”.

In her speech, she admitted change is needed but “in the continuing absence of Planning, Preparation and Assessment time (PPA), workload has become a major issue in many schools”.

“The numbers of teachers who have left the profession in the last few years in spite of financial disincentives are testament to the pressure many find themselves under,” she added.

“There are now 713 fewer teachers working in Northern Ireland schools than there were four years ago.”

Mrs Hughes said that the employing authorities currently spend £3 per year, per teacher, on welfare.

“That wouldn’t even buy you a bottle of cheap wine to help you de-stress. But that’s what passes for teacher welfare in Northern Ireland,” she continued.

“Common sense would dictate that change should be carefully managed, incrementally introduced and with due care for all those involved.

“INTO calls on the Minister to stop this process now. Take the pressure off teachers and allow them to teach.

“Halt any further initiatives and resist the endless demand for data which is being created.

“Give schools a breathing space to reflect and adjust, to consolidate and to grow.”

Mrs Hughes also spoke about the unregulated transfer system replacing the 11-plus because of the failure to reach consensus on a replacement.

She said: “I would urge all those in the primary sector to listen to the Minister.

“Teach the new curriculum and refuse to be drawn into the grammar school battle for numbers and position.

“A recent report on children concluded that the UK has the unhappiest children in Europe,” she said.

“In Northern Ireland, we are going to go one step further and remove more of their already diminished childhood by insisting that we prepare them for and put them through not one test but possibly two or three.”