TEACHERS in Northern Ireland are "under more pressure" than before, according to new survey of parents.
The poll by the British Council has found 68 per cent of parents in the north believe teachers are under more pressure than when they were at school, compared to 44 per cent in England, 38 per cent in Scotland and 43 per cent in Wales.
The survey also reveals that parents in Northern Ireland feel that funding for schools is the main challenge teachers face compared to parents in other regions.
The research by OnePoll surveyed 2,500 parents of UK school schoolchildren between the ages of five and 16 to mark World Teachers’ Day today.
Parents questioned also said children and young people’s mental health (49 per cent) were also among the biggest challenges for teachers, followed by too busy/too much paperwork.
However, the majority of parents believe teachers have a significant influence on shaping the lives of children and young people with 88 per cent agreeing that teachers play an important role in society.
Sixty-two per cent of parents in Northern Ireland also felt teachers will have an impact on their future.
The survey also revealed respondents in the north were the most likely to believe that teachers could be replaced by technology with 22 per cent believing teachers could be replaced in all subjects, compared to five per cent in Scotland, two per cent in Wales and 15 per cent in England.
When asked what subjects they thought pupils should be taught outside of the core curriculum, more than half said personal finance, including budget management, should feature.
The second most popular option was mental health awareness followed by domestic skills or household maintenance. Unprompted lesson suggestions from parents included sign language and first-aid.
Meanwhile, the majority (88 per cent) of parents surveyed agreed it was beneficial for their children to learn about other countries and different cultures around the world.
Jonathan Stewart, director of British Council NI, said: "On World Teachers’ Day it is fantastic to see such high value placed on teachers and the role they play in society, and it’s clear that opportunities for children to learn other languages and explore different cultures are also highly prized.
"At the British Council, teachers are at the heart of our work in education, and we aim to support them by bringing an international dimension to their work, through the provision of classroom teaching resources and professional development opportunities supporting the Northern Ireland curriculum."
