Those who think teaching is easy should put their money where their mouth is

[noblegiraffe]

Teacher training applications which rose during the pandemic have now fallen to 15% below pre-pandemic levels when we already had a critical teacher shortage. The government's decision to slash bursaries is now looking completely idiotic.

www.tes.com/news/teacher-training-applications-drop-pre-covid-levels

The only thing that the government has put an appreciable amount of funding into recently related to schools is £24 million to ensure that they will all be Ofsteded within the next 5 years. With inspectors expected to massively reduce the number of outstanding schools, this is a punishing schedule rather than a supportive one.

This is causing Heads to quit, on top of how terribly they were treated during the pandemic (this continued with an email late Friday telling them that they once again have to take on the job of the NHS and set up covid testing centres for January, with orders needing to be in by Tuesday).

We already have a critical shortage of headteachers.

www.theguardian.com/education/2021/nov/27/ofsted-inspections-headteachers-quit

I've noticed lots of posts on here from people who think that teaching is easy, that school funding is fine and there are no issues in schools, that you can leave at 3 and get lots of holidays.

So isn't it about time they put their money where their mouth is and trained as teachers? We are in dire need of them, and it's such a doss it should be a pleasure for them. A bit of a holiday even. And as it would be a public service, it would be guilt-free.

getintoteaching.education.gov.uk/

[quote Pumperthepumper]**@Mookie81* I’ve* got a PGDE!

I was hoping for a measured discussion about our profession but no, it’s ego stroking or nothing. We’re not allowed to talk about anything other than how hard we have it and how nobody pats us on the back for doing the job we chose and are paid to do.[/quote]
No teacher chose to do the job in its current form so stop talking crap.

I did a degree in English because I love it and wanted to teach it.
I did a PGCE before PGDE was a thing.
I did a masters in education.

The recruitment and retention issues are about workload and expectations, as far as I can see.

I think you need to work on your marketing pitch OP. I don't think goading people is likely to be a successful recruitment tactic.

I think we have discussed the route into teaching ad nauseam.

The thread is definitely discussing those things. I told you that I didn't think it was about money.

You have suggested that people who do degrees and then train are somehow drifting into the job, from what I can make out, and thus leave You don't seem to think career teachers are a thing , unless they started on the route at 17. I disagree that this is the problem. What goes on within schools in terms of accountability, behaviour, over scrutiny, lack of autonomy and a mismatch between expectation and reality are the problems for retention.

@Classicblunder

I never see anyone saying anything of the sort! Lots of posts complaining about "teacher bashing" though

My view - it's not an easy job but not the hardest job out there either and does come with some decent benefits like pension and school holidays (also downsides like very little term time flexibility)

Completely agree with this. Its got positives and negatives just like any other job.

Does 'any other job' have quite the same crisis of retention?

No teacher chose to do the job in its current form so stop talking crap.

You chose to do it, and you continue to choose it, otherwise you’d vote with your feet, so stop talking crap.

@Pumperthepumper You're disingenuous at best, and at worst just rude.

You don't want a discussion, your only engagement tactic is taking comments to ridiculous extremes.

The route into teaching is easy to start on and relatively easy to get into your ECT year. It didn't used to be, but ITT providers are struggling to recruit and bums mean money.

Retention is multi layered. Most of the issues would be solved by better funding of SEN and removing bollocks reporting.

@Piggywaspushed

I think we have discussed the route into teaching ad nauseam.

The thread is definitely discussing those things. I told you that I didn't think it was about money.

You have suggested that people who do degrees and then train are somehow drifting into the job, from what I can make out, and thus leave You don't seem to think career teachers are a thing , unless they started on the route at 17. I disagree that this is the problem. What goes on within schools in terms of accountability, behaviour, over scrutiny, lack of autonomy and a mismatch between expectation and reality are the problems for retention.

But people do drift into it - the option to do a 9-month course on the back of an undergrad makes it very tempting if you’re struggling to work out what to do after your undergrad finishes. I’m really surprised you’d deny the truth in that, because it’s so obviously the case.

We need people to drift into it at the moment!! Get rid of the drifters and there won't be many left. We need to work on keeping the drifters. I was probably a part drifter. I certainly didn't always want to teach. I enjoy it (mostly) now and I am good at it, particularly with tricky groups and students who struggle with maths.

@Piggywaspushed

Does 'any other job' have quite the same crisis of retention?

Care work, I believe. Also dentists and vets.

@Hercisback

We need people to drift into it at the moment!! Get rid of the drifters and there won't be many left. We need to work on keeping the drifters. I was probably a part drifter. I certainly didn't always want to teach. I enjoy it (mostly) now and I am good at it, particularly with tricky groups and students who struggle with maths.

But the trouble with quantity over anything else means the profession is then taken even less seriously.

and so bloody what if they did? There is clearly a point you are trying to make!
I've taught for decades and it is not easy to leave with a mortgage and children... there are also bits you love about the job and I am all for changing a system from within rather than abandoning it.

But the trouble with quantity over anything else means the profession is then taken even less seriously.

Quantity is better than no one.

Yes pumper, some do. But not 'any other job'. Teaching has a retention crisis. This needs discussion not just whataboutery. I think many on MN simply do not believe it to be true.

@Hercisback

But the trouble with quantity over anything else means the profession is then taken even less seriously.

Quantity is better than no one.

Ok. Well if that’s the route teachers (generally) would prefer to go down, a lot of people are going to have to grow much, much thicker skins over what the public thinks of us.

@Piggywaspushed

Yes pumper, some do. But not 'any other job'. Teaching has a retention crisis. This needs discussion not just whataboutery. I think many on MN simply do not believe it to be true.

I don’t know what you mean by this. You asked if other jobs have a retention crisis, and I said they do.

I told you my DH drifted into it. I just don't get your point. People also drift into other careers. Very very few people know what they want to do at 16, and end up doing it. That's what, for many, HE is for.

You asked if other jobs have a retention crisis, and I said they do.

No I didn't.

I said does 'any other job' when teaching was compared to 'any other job. We are always told that there is nothing unique about the circumstances of teaching and yet, it has one of the worst retention crises of any sector, and the worst recruitment and retention in Europe.

There really is no pleasing some people

It's frowned upon to drift into teaching, but it's equally frowned upon to have no experience prior to teaching. 🤷‍♀️

Can you be clear on what you want, Pumper? I don't get it.

@Piggywaspushed

You asked if other jobs have a retention crisis, and I said they do.

No I didn't.

I said does 'any other job' when teaching was compared to 'any other job. We are always told that there is nothing unique about the circumstances of teaching and yet, it has one of the worst retention crises of any sector, and the worst recruitment and retention in Europe.

I still can’t see your point about ‘any other job’ sorry. Teaching does have a massive issue with retention, I don’t see anyone denying that.

Pumperthepumper

You need to calm down. You’re taking this thread too personally, and it’s obviously causing you distress.

Yet more assumptions. but you do you.

@Whinge

There really is no pleasing some people

It's frowned upon to drift into teaching, but it's equally frowned upon to have no experience prior to teaching. 🤷‍♀️

That’s the same thing though. Having experience and then deciding you’d make an excellent teacher on the back of that experience.

How is it the same thing?

You don't think people should drift into teaching after trying other things.

Others think teachers should have experience in a real job before becoming teachers.