More teachers signed off sick as workload rises Mary Bousted, general secretary, said: "The demands and pressures on those working in schools and colleges is escalating. It is not surprising that so many teachers and lecturers are considering leaving the profession. According to figures from the DfE, 56 per cent of teachers took sick leave last year, up sharply on 2009/10 but the same as the total registered 12 months earlier. Of those, the average teacher taking sick leave missed 8.2 days - out of the 190-day working year - the same as 2009/10.