Education Minister Paul Givan has welcomed the publication of the report from the Independent Review of Teacher Workload.

The review was formally established on 1 May 2025 as part of the teachers’ pay settlement for 2024/25.

The Review Panel was tasked with comprehensively 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 existing workload commitments.

Minister Givan stated: “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 an extensive programme of work to develop its recommendations.

The report draws on:

• Consultation with 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.

Minister Givan thanked the Panel for producing the report within a challenging timeframe. He concluded that in the weeks ahead, he will consider the recommendations carefully and work with officials to agree a clear way forward, noting the report provides an important basis for addressing the long-standing concerns around teacher and school leader workload despite significant financial pressures.

The full report is available on the Department of Education website.