DfE admits teacher supply has worsened - wants TAs to become teachers

[noblegiraffe]

It seems that the cracks might finally be showing in the DfE’s relentless positivity about teacher numbers (‘remains an attractive profession!’) in that a private email sent before Christmas admits that teacher numbers are falling and the number of pupils in secondary schools is set to explode. The number of teachers now entering the profession matches those leaving, at a time when we need a sharp increase in secondary teachers.
www.tes.com/news/exclusive-dfe-finally-admits-teacher-supply-has-worsened

But it’s ok! They are now looking to get TAs to become teachers as this will solve the crisis.
www.tes.com/news/exclusive-dfe-looks-tas-help-solve-teacher-shortages

AND 44% of the public reckon they’d make a good teacher www.tes.com/news/nearly-half-public-think-theyd-be-good-teachers

so Damian Hinds is keen to get them into classrooms on taster days to give it a try www.tes.com/news/dfe-recruitment-include-tasters-teaching

Problem sorted.

speechless.

They just don’t care about state education, they don’t care about educating these kids and frankly, what an insult to trained teachers. Shocked.

The tipping point has been reached and education will fall into an abyss. Teachers have been saying for years that the workload/inspection/ behaviour/ frequent curriculum change/ work life balance is unsustainable.

What a pity that the whole thing has to get to a point of collapse before anyone takes it seriously.

Many TA's don't want to become teachers, we've seen what that entails and want no part of it, thanks.

I'm thinking of becoming a teacher but I haven't met one yet who is positive about it as a career - and that's in Junior's so imagine is worse in secondary.

The problem is most TAs know that the workload is too high and so therefore generally don't wish to become teachers. They are TAs precisely because they have chosen that job. In fact many TAs used to be teachers because they love working with children and teaching them but they cannot have the excessive workload after school hours.

I’d be back in the classroom in a heartbeat if conditions were better and I think I wouldn’t be the only one. Unfortunately fixing teacher retention is a very tough ask. Damien Hinds is my constituency MP..... He relentlessly parrots government policy and hasn’t an original thought in him.

I think is TAs wanted to become teachers they would have trained as teaches not TAs, No?

I think pretty well every TA I have ever met is capable of training as a teacher. The only one I know who has made the transition quit after a year.

Lots of TAs are teachers who have chosen not to teach.

There is an entire army of trained teachers out there who are not teaching because they left due to the hours / conditions. Most of those people must have wanted to teach at the beginning.

Some could be tempted back if conditions were improved. They wouldn't need as much training as new recruits.

Hang on. Are the government now saying TAs are an asset? I thought it was the norm to tell TAs they don't make a difference and lay them off in their 100s? A better idea would be to have national pay scales and t&cs for TAs, pay them a living wage and have them available to support the teacher, especially after school with resources, assessments, data etc and basically be a Teacher's Assistant first and foremost. I know lots do this now but also many have to be out the door at 3.30 to go to their second jobs to supplement their income. If the role of the TA was upgraded do you think the teacher's role would be less stressful? I am thinking primary here, I don't know enough about secondary TAs roles and responsibilities.

TAs don’t want to be teachers - they see first hand what it’s like! They’re not stupid. I know 3 TAs who used to be teachers. They wouldn’t dream of becoming teachers again.

The problem isn’t the lack of teachers, the problem is that so few teachers want to do the job.

No MsChooka they are only saying TAs are useful if they teach classes.

The TAs I know don't want to be teachers. They would love better conditions and pay but appreciate the "perks" like going home not long after the kids and not working from home during the evening.

TAs are only useful when the government realise that they are a cheap way of getting them out of a hole. When the government don't need that they are unskilled and not worth any money.
Outside of government, they are worth their weight in gold if they are good.

Hahahahahaha! I'm a TA and there's no way on this earth that I'd become a teacher in this system. I've been asked several times but, having a damned good understanding of the profession, there's not a bloody chance.

I trained as a Teaching Assistant 4 years ago. After a several short term contracts, with no way of knowing if I would be retained each September I gave up. I was in competition for jobs with teachers who no longer wanted the pressures of a teaching job. Of course they got the jobs as schools were getting teachers without paying the teachers salary.

I'm currently a cover supervisor and am starting teacher training in september

I'm currently a cover supervisor and am starting teacher training in september

Good luck. Are you going down the Uni PGCE route or school based?

It is bizarre that the DfE are flailing around wildly desperately trying to find groups of people who haven’t yet been teachers to have a stab at it.

As a PP mentioned, why not try to make the job more attractive to the thousands of ex-teachers who would be willing to come back to the classroom, or to retain the thousands of current teachers who are one straw away from quitting?

I've been applying for teacher training courses for the last four years. It's bloody hard to get on a course, surely it wasn't that hard when it was PGCE? With all the school centred training it seems that they are only accepting a very limited amount, and only in a few subjects.

You can still do a PGCE though?

I was a TA who then did my PGCE and I know many teachers and TA who do the same. I know lots of people are TA first to gain experience of working in an education setting.

I have left teaching since.

School centred training requires schools to have capacity to train them, which means staff hours within departments, and mentors. For many schools it's an impossibility. I did it, but that was 15 years ago and different times.

PGCE is still a possibility though.

Well, I guess I'm one of the 44% of people who think they would be good teachers. I thought about it when I was younger but was persuaded not to follow that particular path...by some of my favourite teachers. I often feel that I missed my vocation.

Unfortunately, I now know enough of the profession to know that teachers are generally underpaid, overworked and undervalued, so much as I'd love to retrain as a teacher now, the government haven't exactly made it very attractive.

I know some brilliantly qualified, intelligent and talented TAs who would make fantastic teachers. However, they have seen what it's like at the sharp end and wouldn't go there for anything.