Givan welcomes Independent Review of Teacher Workload

Date published: 1 December 2025

The Independent Review Panel was formally established on 1 May 2025 as part of the teachers’ pay settlement for 2024/25. It was tasked with examining all aspects of workload faced by teachers and school leaders, making recommendations for the way forward, and monitoring the implementation of a series of workload commitments issued alongside the pay offer.

Welcoming the publication of the report, Paul Givan said: 

“Workload has been a key concern raised by teachers and school leaders since my appointment as Education Minister in early 2024. In response, I commissioned this review as part of my commitment to addressing workload pressures and ensuring teachers can focus on teaching, learning and supporting pupils in the classroom.”

The Review Panel, chaired by Paul Sweeney and including Trade Union nominee Larry Flanagan and Management nominee Liam Perry, undertook a comprehensive programme of work to develop recommendations aimed at reducing workload for teachers and school leaders.

The report draws on:

• Consultation with the key stakeholders represented on the Teachers’ Negotiating Committee.
• Responses from over 7,700 teachers and school leaders to an engagement questionnaire.
• Consideration of measures adopted in neighbouring jurisdictions to tackle similar challenges.

Paul Givan concluded: 

"I want to thank the members of the Review Panel for their work in producing this report within a challenging timeframe. In the weeks ahead, I will consider the recommendations carefully and work with officials to agree a clear way forward. While financial pressures remain significant, this report provides an important basis for addressing the longstanding concerns around teacher and school leader workload."

The Independent Review of Teacher Workload report has been published on the Department of Education website.