Apparently there is NOT a recruitment crisis!

[rollonthesummer]

I'll start off by getting the thread title right!

I have just received a reply from my local Tory MP who I had written to regarding various issues within teaching. I quote...

'Regarding your concern that a lot of teachers are leaving the profession, he (David Laws, minister of state for schools) assures me that this is not reflected in the official statistics that were published this January. He states that what the statistics show is that vacancy rates are declining with the majority of new teachers still teaching after 5 years. Further to this, he states that teacher retention remains stable with 91% of teachers who began teaching in maintained schools in 2008 still teaching one year later and 76% still teaching five years later and in November 2013 there were just 750 vacancies across the country, a rate of 0.2%.'

Bullshit? Statistics? Not a problem!?

Who is seriously going to replace all these teachers and heads that are being forced out?! It's crazy!

There are hardly any jobs to apply for in S Wales.

Are things better in Wales?

What's it like there with regards to observations/book scrutinies/Ofsted/PMR/planning+marking etc?

I guess the vacancy rate is because you need a body in front of the class. How many Maths/Physics/Computing positions are filled by non specialists on fixed term contracts? Technically no vacancy, but constantly looking to replace.

There are no teachers over about 35 at DS's school, apart from SLT. Thank heaven we don't depend on what I earn any longer!

Contrary to what David Laws might say, the written intro for this radio 4 programme about the pressure on teachers states that record numbers of teachers are leaving the profession.

www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/p02m8mcf

Last year six out of eight teachers at d d 's school left. This year her teacher who I think is an nqt has been off sick since the start of term. We think with stress which is a shame because he was great