Another damning report on teacher supply

Commenting on the Public Accounts Committee’s report Retaining and Developing the Teaching Workforce, Chris Keates, General Secretary of the NASUWT-The Teachers’ Union, said:  

“We have now had numerous official public bodies highlighting the lack of effective action by this Government to address the deep teacher recruitment and retention crisis. The Committee is to be commended for the particular clarity and rigour of its analysis in setting out the scale of the teacher supply emergency facing the education system.

“The reasons for this crisis should by now be crystal clear to this Government.

“Ever rising workloads, particularly driven by oppressive marking and assessment regime and administrative tasks. Uncompetitive salary levels as a result of years of cuts, caps and freezes.

“Teacher burnout manifesting itself in spiralling levels of mental and physical ill health.

“Deep anger and frustration across the profession.

“The Committee rightly highlights the unequivocal evidence presented to it by the NASUWT that a key driver of the current crisis in teacher numbers is the number of existing teachers leaving the profession, often taking with them valuable years of knowledge, skill and expertise.

“Unless the Government accepts the mounting evidence, grasps the nettle and takes action to address effectively the problems they have created the position will only deteriorate further.”

ENDS