Fears grow over shortage of qualified teachers

[noblegiraffe]

The Times is a bit behind the times in reporting on the teacher shortage crisis, however new figures show that after a brief respite for recruitment issues due to covid, the situation in schools for September is now looking dire.

"Job adverts for secondary school teachers are up 47 per cent on last year and 14 per cent on 2019, prior to the pandemic, according to SchoolDash, an education data company."

Oh, but we can just recruit fresh, enthusiastic trainees to replace the old, busted teachers who are quitting in droves, some on here would claim. Bad news there too:

"Government figures show fewer than 9,000 of the 20,945 new teachers it hoped to start training from September have been offered a training place.

In physics just 25 have been firmly recruited while a further 283 have a conditional offer to start training — just 12 per cent of the 2,600 target.

In design and technology, only 15 per cent of the required teachers have been recruited, while in maths and English the figure is a little over half."

While I can see the govt is gearing up to once again slate the profession, the question parents need to be asking is "who exactly is left to teach my child?"

And the answer isn't necessarily something you'll want to hear.

www.thetimes.co.uk/article/cc94af68-eff3-11ec-9bea-abc2bc5953e5?shareToken=9852fc3a725ac809e13b4f5ea234ec8d

It is a truly wild time. Where is everyone going?? What careers are they pursuing instead? DH is a teacher and his school are getting a single applicant for each post. I am in healthcare and we are also struggling to fill posts that three years ago we would have had a dozen good applicants for.

Any sensible young person with skills should up sticks & go elsewhere.

The good schools and the Independent sector will have no problem attracting candidates. The rest will struggle.

The good schools and the Independent sector will have no problem attracting candidates.

You'd like to think so, but this really isn't the case anymore.

I work as a self employed tutor. I work 3 hours a day and earn more than I did as a full time teacher. Very little stress, very little planning (now I'm 5 years in) and hugely enjoyable.

You actually couldn't pay me to go back in the classroom, unless they removed the ridiculous paperwork (primary) that goes with it. Just let teachers teach and deal with the crap ones - instead of making every teacher justify their every move and decision.

I work in an Ofsted outstanding school. Top 100 in the country. Top ten in the North West. Amazing exam results. Great staff and kids. And yet this year we have so many people leaving. Many leaving teaching altogether. I would say previously we’ve had one or two in ten years leave teaching. This year alone we are in double figures.

It’s really sad and scary. But not a surprise. The government has done everything in its power to under fund education, and to place as much pressure on schools/teachers as possible.

They are intent on ruining all public sectors and doing a bloody good job of it too.

Not so, a top indie where my DB children go are also struggling to fill posts.

Across many sectors, aging workforce, able to take pension at 55, EU workers went home, low skilled UK workforce and a Govt that has failed to plan for any of this.

It must just be in England as there are hardly any permanent vacancies in Scotland. There are people who qualified quite a few years ago who have yet to get a job. Any sensible young person shouldn't touch teaching with a bargepole. If I had my time over again I wouldn't even consider it.

@Pyewhacket

See my post above. We have had to re-advertise lots of posts. Subjects like art, which are usually very competitive and lots apply, have so not attracted a handful of applications. Which haven’t been great either.

This is the same at my eldest DC school.

Only. Not ‘so not’

I’m leaving teaching after 15 years. I’ve had enough and can’t do it anymore. I’ve got two small children now and they need their mum and not an overwrought, stressed and invisible one at that.

They are leaving to do work that is more valued or pays more, or the host of 30 ish year old woman are having their own families.

Teaching is sole destroying with kids unable to meet basic manners or conduct themselves properly in the classrooms.

Have spend the day being sworn at! Can you tell?

Yet my DP had around 20 applicants for a teaching role in his department. NW area.

I'm an ex-teacher. I loved the children but couldn't take the constant stress and paperwork. I now work in HR/Learning and Development for far better money and far less hassle.

Which subject?

I was going to say this too as I know a few people who qualified as teachers and want to teach yet can't get jobs.

I have 5 teacher friends…1 is still teaching, 2 have left teaching altogether(had enough) & the other 2 have gone to Hong Kong to teach there!

I'm sort of leaving. Am stepping down to be an SEN trainee and training in horticultural therapy. All my colleagues are very jealous. I will earn fuck all for a while but I am very passionate about it.

No jobs going at all though where I am. Am on SLT and the one job we advertised was had 70+ applicants! Lots of them v experienced and too expensive for us to afford sadly. But we are struggling to find specialist teachers like music and art. This is at a primary in NE.

My DH left a comprehensive secondary for a 6th form college. Doesn’t regret it at all even though it’s nearly an hour commute away, that’s made up for in enjoying the teaching, less planning and very little poor behaviour to deal with.

I've just finished my primary training and there are very few vacancies in my area.😥

Also, the rumour is schools prefer experienced teachers because even though they cost more, some heads think there are more likely to have the skills to help children catch up after covid (don't agree) and they don't have to provide a full day PPA or deal with ECT away days.

I'd love to see some of the posters who attacked teachers during the Covid-rife months and told us to "resign then, if you don't like it" have the balls to post on this thread.

<<tumbleweed>>

My partner and I both managed to get out in the last year. The relief is immense. The change in our family life and work-life balance is astonishing. We should have done it years ago. Both been teaching over 20 years. We loved it. But it's changed. It's toxic. Has been for a while but covid was the final nail in the coffin.

If anyone wants more understanding of why - these amazing former teachers from the (79k and growing rapidly) Facebook group for teachers trying to leave, have these support videos:

https://m.youtube.com/channel/UC0lfn6McCmtsLEQrGyYjZ9A

I really do worry for the future of education. But I can't be a part of it any more. For my own and my family's wellbeing.

The independent schools have been targeted by the government, which is refusing to pay into the teachers Pension in private schools. This is costing. Millions of pounds that can’t be passed onto the parents fees. The schools are therefore slowly withdrawing from final salary schemes.

while I am not a big fan of private schools, children rich or poor need to be taught and driving yet more teachers out of the profession is not the best idea. Once teachers have experienced working in private schools where they have less paperwork and are left to teach...they don’t tend to go to state schools, so big problems as the smaller private schools eventually shut, and those children return to state schools.