BARNSLEY schools are spending more than £4m a year on supply teachers to cover staff absences.

And there is concern among teaching unions that the figure could increase because there is too much pressure on teachers, leading to many being on long-term sick leave with mental health problems.

Figures obtained by the Chronicle show that in the last school year £4.3m was spent to bring in

supply teachers to cover for sickness, courses and long-term absences, such as maternity leave. Similar research carried out in Leeds revealed the city only spent the same on supply teachers as Barnsley even though it is a much bigger education authority.

Barnsley NUT's Pete Bevis says the figure could rise even higher as the pressure on teachers to meet national targets is increased.

Mr Bevis said 85 per cent of the absence cases he deals with are due to depression, anxiety and stress. "What I am concerned about is the workload that colleagues are still facing is a major factor that contributes towards these mental health issues. It is not just in Barnsley but is something I have tried to draw to the attention of the council and continue to do so because it has got to be addressed.

"It is a serious situation and has been ongoing for a significant number of years."

Chris Whitmore, of the National Association of Headteachers, said most schools had insurance to help cover the cost of using supply teachers.

In Barnsley last school year, 11,136 'teacher days' were lost to sickness - 5,388 in primary schools and 5,748 in secondary.

Coun Linda Burgess, cabinet spokeswoman for children and young people, said she could not comment further. Steven Mair, the education department's assistant director for performance and development, was not available.