A survey has shown that two-thirds of workers in primary school and early years have received treatment for back and joint problems as a result of working in child-sized environments. More than two-thirds of those taking part in the survey had taken time off because of work related joint or back pain.
The study of more than 700 teachers found that lifting children, working at child-height computers and desks as well as standing all day was contributing to their ills. One teacher said she had to lie down on the floor at break time and others had left to teach older, taller pupils.
The research, whose findings were revealed in the Times Educational Supplement, was carried out by Lorna Taylor, a physiotherapist, and the Voice union for education. They believe a teacher will spend an average of 20,000 hours sitting on furniture designed for children over a 30-year career.
Ms Taylor said: "There's an attitude that it's part of the job – they accept back pain and take painkillers to keep going. "It's taboo to complain. People don't want to be seen as whingeing or letting their team down. I don't know who's been planning these classrooms, but no one's thought about this issue properly."Philip Parkin, general secretary of Voice, said: "Primary and early-years settings are naturally designed for children, but more thought needs to go into the needs of the adults who there, too."
He said that every workplace was legally obliged to have a reporting system for injuries and that teachers should let someone know about any aches and pains. "If these were people working in county hall or any office, these issues would be taken seriously or not happen in the first place."
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