The DfE released figures today about initial teacher training recruitment today, and the recruitment figure for secondary schools is 40% lower than the DfE's own target.
schoolsweek.co.uk/dfe-misses-secondary-teacher-recruitment-target-by-over-40/
The recruitment crisis isn't evenly split between subjects- just 17% of the physics teachers needed were recruited. DT, Computing and MFL have also struggled to recruit.
Schools rely on new teachers coming through the system to replace those who are leaving and to fill staffing gaps. I know a lot of schools are already short of teachers in key subjects, and this will likely be even worse next year.
Higher bursaries have been offered for 2023, but in 2024, the number of ITT places across the country is set to fall, so this problem is likely to get even worse.
As parents, I think it's really important to be aware of who is teaching your child. Are they qualified to teach that subject? Are they qualified to teach full stop? Is your child just having a lot of supply teachers in an important subject? In the short term, particularly in exam years, many parents have no choice but to search for private tutors or similar to fill in gaps.
In the long term, it's definitely something to consider when making school choices (but also do be aware a school or department can get into trouble very quickly). So it's also important to make politicians aware that you as a parent value having subject specialists teaching your child (assuming you do) and trying to make the government do something to improve teacher retention and recruitment.