Degree of Teachers’ Stress in Jamaica and the United Kingdom:

Psychological job stress is a growing problem, as the amount of research devoted to the topic in the last decade alone indicates (Kyriacou, 1987). In particular, stress in the teaching profession is becoming a major cause for concern and “teacher stress” was the principle theme of the 1988 annual conference of the NAS/UMT. The union executive has been called on to prepare a detailed report on the ever-increasing levels of stress associated with the job of being a teacher. There was also a call on LEAs to establish standing committees to investigate and advise all aspects of teacher stress. Earlier in 1976, the general secretary of the NAW/UWT said that members of the union reported that stress in teaching had worsened in recent years. Teachers felt that the moral support which used to be given by the community had disappeared, and this contributed significantly to stress. In addition, teachers felt that compared with earlier decades, the dominant traditional values of schools were now at considerable variance with those of the wider society.