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.

Interesting that the article says that the number of TAs has risen by 24% as this is not the case in my school and other local schools where TA numbers have been reduced. We have gone from a team of over 20 to a team of just 5.

I cannot see this plan having much impact on the shortage of science teachers.

@noblegiraffe no, unfortunately no local universities offer PGCE's and although I am desperate to teach I can't uproot mine or my dd's life to do a PGCE.

I think in France teachers feel more like professionals. They are civil servants for a start. They only teach 18 hours a week as a maximum and 15 hours a week if they have a higher diploma. They don’t do any cover or any duties or deal with any behaviour behind sending students to the administration. When they aren’t teaching they can go home (or wherever they like).

Unfortunately (well, fortunately for France) it’s such a sought-after profession that they have a huge competitive exam you have to pass to get a job. And unfortunately for new teachers, they can place you anywhere in France until you build up enough points to go where you’d like.

That’s a shame, azul, all the unis near me offer one so I thought it was a fairly standard course. That would explain why some areas of the country are far shorter of teachers than others. School-grown teachers are all well and good but we need to be churning them out in industrial quantities at the moment.

The government hates university education departments though so would be loathe to setting up more PGCEs.