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Original poster

Anyone worried about teacher shortages?

210 replies

blackcatbabe · 20/06/2023 14:10

Schools are struggling to recruit at the moment, particularly in the South East. Anyone particularly worried about this in their kids' schools?

OP posts:
5Pioneers · 20/06/2023 19:00

This reply has been deleted

This has been deleted by MNHQ for breaking our Talk Guidelines.

crumpelled · 20/06/2023 23:19

Yep, our school has had to pull two GCSE options as they can't recruit for them. This graph says it all ...

Anyone worried about teacher shortages?
Perry13579 · 20/06/2023 23:25

I work in a SE secondary school with a list of vacancies as long as your arm and growing. We have a great reputation locally so should have people queuing up to work for us.

If parents who've moved house especially to secure a place in the school knew that their kids were being taught by 22 year old graduates with no teaching experience because we simply can't get qualified teachers, and someone leading the class is better than no-one, they would NOT be happy.

ContractQuestion · 20/06/2023 23:29

Yes

ModeWeasel · 20/06/2023 23:58

Yes

sparklelikeadiamond · 21/06/2023 00:00

Yes. And I’m a teacher who left. Delighted that I’ve left. Worried for my children.

crumpelled · 21/06/2023 08:03

All our schools will be led by PE teachers soon. On the bright side, at least they will have the energy and stamina needed for the role.

Eskarina1 · 21/06/2023 08:08

My primary son has had teaching assistants 3 days out of 5 this year. 1 day with his class teacher and 1 day with a sub. He's really really struggled with it.

It's very worrying and one of the reasons I am completely supportive of the teachers strikes. Jobs have to be attractive to people.

Birdkin · 21/06/2023 08:14

Yes, very.

Lemonadestands · 21/06/2023 08:18

Yes, very concerned. I know as a former teacher myself that the stress is toxic and has been increasing for years. It was totally foreseeable.

Crabwoman · 21/06/2023 08:26

Yes. DD2 (yr8) hasn't had a permanent maths teacher for two years.
My DD1 (yr 4) school can't recruit a head teacher.

DH is a secondary teacher and all his free periods are spent on covering classes for posts they can't recruit too (on top of sickness, mat covet etc). His SLT seem to be in panic mode and constantly fire fighting.

They are stretched so thin,and it's showing. Behaviour is out of control.

converseandjeans · 21/06/2023 23:49

Well that's why there are teacher strikes. There's lots of negativity towards teachers in general in the press, on MN and in real life. If it's that easy & well paid why are there shortages?

I'm worried as there are loads of vacancies at my children's school. I don't know how they will find decent teachers in subjects like Conputer Science, Maths, Drama etc. so near the end of term.

Teachers are leaving with no job to go to. That says it all really.

Do people not realise that by constantly undermining the profession & not challenging their own children on behaviour then teachers will just leave?

assonant · 22/06/2023 06:33

Yes, but I'm even more worried about my DH's mental health. He's a teacher in a senior role, and his stress levels are crazy. He works a 14 hour day then collapses into bed with no time or energy left for anything else. He left for work before 6am this morning and won't be home until 10pm because of an evening event at school. He works long hours most weekends. He worries about work all the time. He's incredibly good at his job and gives it his absolute all (to the detriment of his own kids and everything else in his life) but still gets constant unreasonable demands and sometimes abuse from parents, as well as dealing with the stresses and strains of staffing issues, budget issues, students' mental health problems, safeguarding, and just the constant expectation from both above and below of more more more (and it's a really good school). The pressure is intolerable and feels totally unsustainable at the moment and tbh I wouldn't be surprised if he keeled over tomorrow - but he doesn't cut down or leave because he's so conscientious and has never wanted to do anything but teach. If parents only knew. Well, some of them do, some of them don't, and some of them don't care.

Twiglets1 · 22/06/2023 07:05

It should be a concern for all parents with school aged children. I used to work as a TA but gave up in May as got fed up being asked to cover lessons on TA pay. Every TA job I look at in other schools says something in the job description about "may be asked to cover lessons from time to time" - even ones that are specialist roles working with the visually impaired, for example.

There is clearly a real shortage of teachers. And TAs by the way.

3sthemagicnumber · 23/06/2023 16:10

Yes, very worried.

Son in Y9 hasn't had a permanent Science teacher until last term. Said teacher is leaving this summer (rumour has it because finds it impossible to work under the new head - which I find believable). We've been cheerily assuming that as he enters GCSE years he'll get proper teachers (as DD who's just finished Y11 has had tbf), but staff leaving in droves and it's not looking very likely.

School has been through tumultuous few years, new head and new-ish MAT CEO don't inspire confidence and we live in an area where housing is really expensive. Hard to see who they're going to recruit really.

I have several friends/relatives in their thirties and forties, who are really great teachers/TAs and are leaving education at the end of this year. The ones left behind must be under more and more pressure. Hard to see what is going to change any time soon. Fully support the strikes.

42isthemeaning · 23/06/2023 16:17

assonant · 22/06/2023 06:33

Yes, but I'm even more worried about my DH's mental health. He's a teacher in a senior role, and his stress levels are crazy. He works a 14 hour day then collapses into bed with no time or energy left for anything else. He left for work before 6am this morning and won't be home until 10pm because of an evening event at school. He works long hours most weekends. He worries about work all the time. He's incredibly good at his job and gives it his absolute all (to the detriment of his own kids and everything else in his life) but still gets constant unreasonable demands and sometimes abuse from parents, as well as dealing with the stresses and strains of staffing issues, budget issues, students' mental health problems, safeguarding, and just the constant expectation from both above and below of more more more (and it's a really good school). The pressure is intolerable and feels totally unsustainable at the moment and tbh I wouldn't be surprised if he keeled over tomorrow - but he doesn't cut down or leave because he's so conscientious and has never wanted to do anything but teach. If parents only knew. Well, some of them do, some of them don't, and some of them don't care.

This is terrible. Your dh needs to pause and look at his situation. What could he change to lighten his burden? We only have one short life...

assonant · 23/06/2023 21:02

Yes, and thank you, but what's really terrible is how many teachers and senior leaders are working under similar pressure. He's not just an isolated workaholic. The worse the teacher shortages and budget deficits get, the worse the situation in schools gets, and the more pressure the remaining teachers are under. There just aren't enough hours in the day to do the work, and there isn't a magic wand to fix the problems.

MichelleScarn · 23/06/2023 21:15

I don't know how teachers do it? The teachers I know in 30/40s are leaving, one to no job, one to supermarket another to be a carer.
Don't blame them when you see or hear about the abuse they get. You only have to look on here to see how craply some parents treat them with the 'AIBU to go nuclear at dds teacher and demand she is fired for saying she can't grade work dd doesn't do?'

MichelleScarn · 23/06/2023 21:24

And a fine example is a trending post where the parent acknowledges child was rude to a teacher, and now saying its wrong of the school to 'frighten' the children by telling them off!!

Covidwoes · 23/06/2023 21:25

Yes, and I'm a teacher. I usually get wound up reading teaching threads on MN as people's ignorance is woeful, but this thread is refreshingly realistic about the struggles teachers face. Thank you for bringing this to light.

Summerishereagain · 23/06/2023 21:28

sparklelikeadiamond · 21/06/2023 00:00

Yes. And I’m a teacher who left. Delighted that I’ve left. Worried for my children.

Ditto.

My children are primary age and their school hasn’t had an issue recruiting but I worry for when they get to secondary age.

Boudicasbeard · 23/06/2023 21:28

Yes, I teach in an Outstanding school with a supportive SLT and subsidised housing and even we cannot recruit.

Because it is behaviour and total lack of any support to fix this that is the problem. Our SLT are great but there is little we can do for kids that haven’t been properly socialised at home and spend all evening being babysat by their phone. The attention spans are so short in Yr 7 that we are struggling to progress through basic work.

barlie · 23/06/2023 21:38

Yep soon we're unlikely to be able to even have gcse D&T nationally it seems as there are just no D&T teachers. So many secondary maths teachers do not have a maths degree. English is not a shortage subject in terms of teachers. Things are dire in terms of recruitment - dire.

barlie · 23/06/2023 21:39

English is 'now' a shortage subject! Sorry!

vintagechristmas · 23/06/2023 21:49

Yeah, I’m terrified. I’ve been teaching 17 years and it is intolerable at the moment. I’m actively planning my exit, sadly. I can’t do it anymore.

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