Teachers' stress has become a crucial personal, national and even international issue. In addition to the personal and familial grief that it can cause, stress causes a huge waste of scarce human resources in the education system. This text traces the causes of that stress, examining individual psychologies, work patterns, the structure of the education system and roles and relationships. The author's findings should help to alleviate occupational stress amongst not only teachers but also those in comparable jobs within the caring professions.