Parliament admits crisis in teacher recruitment and retention, asks for advice

[noblegiraffe]

Robin Walker, new Chair of the Ed Select Committee has said:

“The current teacher shortages in some subjects in state-funded schools make it more challenging for schools to provide high-quality education across the country. It is imperative that we take a comprehensive and nuanced look at the difficulties in recruiting and retaining qualified teachers. We must urgently identify solutions to ensure pupils receive consistent and quality teaching, and that teachers feel supported in their roles."

They want evidence from interested parties on how this can be addressed
https://committees.parliament.uk/call-for-evidence/3081

I wonder if they will be looking at Gillian Keegan until recently refusing to negotiate with the teaching unions for spurious reasons and threatening to give any teacher pay rise money to nurses, the yet another pay cut the government is advising for teachers from September, the schools inspectorate casually dropping the death of a headteacher (that the inspection possibly contributed to) into an Ofsted report and then quietly removing it following backlash, the refusal to pause inspections to conduct a review, the leak of contemptuous governmental WhatsApps about teachers being lazy during covid....and that's just been the past few weeks.

Teacher recruitment and vacancy data that has just been published looks dreadful. That means even more kids without teachers next year.

Serious action is urgently needed.

https://www.nfer.ac.uk/teacher-labour-market-in-england-annual-report-2023/

Some schools are beginning to admit they can't balance their budgets, which means they can't actually open next year.

Unfortunately the Country has got exactly what it asked for in the last election. This is what Tories stand for, there can’t be a single person who voted for them that is surprised - or unhappy.

Well they will open, but with cuts in staffing wherever they can make them. I think we are going to see schools looking for other ways to balance their budgets too, like for example expecting parents to supply all the materials needed in school, as is the case in many other countries, where parents are expected to supply specific exercise books, writing materials and other stationery items as well as items for general classroom use.

The other issue with those ITT figures is they include the very many graduates who enrol on science PGCEs with absolutely no intention of teaching but happy to take the very substantial bursary money for a year. I know from the ITT provider that we work with that this isn’t an isolated problem and very many of the trainees never even apply for jobs. But the government is too stupid to see that as well.
i am angrier now than ever over their ridiculous unfunded pay offer ( my lovely school is broke already, where can they find a pay rise from?) and the fact that i am deemed to be worth about £8k a year less than a teacher in Scotland ( who aren’t exactly overpaid)

I surprised there isn't a clawback of the bursary for those who don't stay and teach at least e.g. 3 or 5 years.

You would think there would be, but no the government are so stupid they reckon offering far more than you might earn in the first few years as a bursary will get people to enrol and stay.

Ridiculous- they know the problems. Discipline, pay, and stupid levels of bureaucracy.

At least clever Tories send their kids to private schools where none of these issues apply. Stupid Tory voters vote to treat teachers like crap and are then surprised by the issues.

Maybe it’s set to be education packages, so you get a free basic education which is crap, no frills, teacher talking at 50 kids for the day, no activities or expenses, then schools where they will supplement bolt on staff if the parents cough up the cash. Only for those kids whose parents can pay though mind! The kids not getting the extra lessons can just hang out. Then a mid range package would be where the parents pay half the fees for example. Then the top fee paying schools that are just cess pits and breeding grounds for the chinless wonders we see ruining our country .

You think Labour politicians send their kids to Bog Standard Comp? They make sure they live close to good schools so when questioned they can say hand on heart “ But Little Marx attends our closest school”, or they do a Diana Abbott and say the reason their child is privately educated is they think they are vunerable to local bad influences.

If Labour were in power you'd have a better point. But since they aren't, and pay, discipline and bureaucracy are due to the current government, I'd say someone voting Tory who doesn't accept the problems stem from the current government would need a good education.

Maybe in a private school. They seem not to have these issues. Funny that.

Did you have to Nobel?

I feel shit enough from a cold without banging my head on the desk and weeping in despair at the stupidity.

Get the multilink cubes out a lay it out for them in 3d plastic.

Bear with me, this is health, not education, but in this blog, Roy Lilley discusses Jeremy Hunt's commitment to NHS workforce reform, as an ex-health secretary and in his role as chair of the health select committee.

Now he's chancellor, it doesn't matter of course.

So shit.

myemail.constantcontact.com/The-Chancellor.html?soid=1102665899193&aid=QsOq0LoOU4Q

Ofsted
Lack of effective parenting liked to behaviour and expectations that schools teach basics like brushing teeth, finance or sex and relationships
Lack of respect from government and parents
Lack of SEND provision and special schools

Of the list of issues teachers have I wonder how many have problems dealing with parents?, I ask that in support of teachers