Teaching shortage in the news

[rollonthesummer]

I saw this in my half awake fog this morning

bbc

and thought-'ooh, are people actually accepting there's a massive recruitment/retention problem at last', as usually there's some comment like 'a spokesperson from the DFE says that there has never been a better time to enter teaching' but then I saw this was in Scotland.

I thought-from reading comments on here-that teaching was a lot better up in Scotland-less pressure to double mark etc but if Scotland are recognising there's problems, then surely it's a big issue!

Why don't they realise there's a problem, and rather than saying 'Let's give unscruplous headteachers the power to pay brilliant people more (which only in reality ends up with them paying most people badly), just stop 50% of the mindless unnecessary shite that the job entails and the fact that you are only ever one observation away from capability proceedings, and people won't be leaving in droves!

What's going to happen with it all, will it implode!?

Where will it all end?!

Did the TA get offered the teaching post by the way??

Space for 12 FT teaching staff in my school and we're down 2 1/2 and our council won't let us fill the vacancies! That's another huge problem.

There has always been attempts to recruit Australian teachers to go and teach in the UK, but I've noticed it has ramped up considerably now. The university I'm doing my PhD at has UK recruitment firms actually on campus and actively chasing new grads to go overseas. Free flights, free mobile phones, cheap accommodation, all sorts of bonuses if you go. Experienced teachers are either getting daily spam from these companies, and many of us have been approached directly. I even had one standing by my car in the staff carpark one afternoon to try and get me to go to the UK.

there are so many qualified teachers, i am one example, who have say 5 years teaching experience, no capability issues, got good results, etc but are not teaching and have no intentions to do so despite earning less in other fields and genuinely missing some aspects of teaching.

gtc knows who they are - they'd be an interesting group to survey as to what the issues with 'retention' are and what it would take for them to consider returning to teaching.

i'm considering taking a teaching post next year but not in the UK.

The issue in the central belt is supply. There is very little supply available now due to the cuts in how supply teachers are paid. I've just gone off on maternity leave and there is no one to cover me!

just to add i am from the cohort who were paid a training salary and had fees waived to try and deal with shortages. i used to know the stats but don't remember other than to say that it was a crazily low number who were still in teaching 3 years after starting their pgce - many quit during pgce, a further percentage never went on to do nqt year, others did and then left and then a further percentage had left within the three years. it was something like only 30% remaining.

my point is that recruitment isn't the answer - a million nqts won't solve anything - it is retention that is the key.

I am not at all surprised. Now that teachers have degrees they have other options and will suffer burn out after a few years. Everyone needs a work/life balance.

It is retention that is the problem and won't be solved until something is done about the workload. Most teachers who leave love the classroom part- it is the paperwork that grinds them down.

i think for secondary it could come from an overhaul of how we achieve inclusion and differentiation - great values, so far really poor approaches and bugger all resources or support to make it sustainable.

I'm on a break from teaching (in Scotland) due to stress (7 years of SEN/assaults/mindless bloody paperwork). I put in an application recently for general vacancies and did not get an interview (assaults really with huge teaching shortages). Asked for feedback. "Not enough evidence of work history". I have 15 years, plus another 5 in non-teaching in schools. Excellent references/inspection feedback.

The only conclusion I can draw is that I didn't have the lecture in college/cheat sheet on how to fill out the application form, so had missed out some buzz words on their tick list. Since I'm in the lucky position to not have to go back immediately , I'm taking my time about rewriting it into gobbledegook. I took a break in part because of having to jump through meaningless hoops, this is just more of the same. It does make me and and possibly even when I read about the LA having huge recruitment problems/facing fines etc.

• 2nd 'assaults' = 'area'!

Well from my experience it depends where you are. In the south west it is extremely competitive and I was unable to get a permanent teaching position as there were so many people going for each post. It was rediculous. Going back 7 years 200 people applied for the last job I got.

I don't think you will find that now!

Not in this area - they're having crisis talks about difficulty in recruiting.

Going back 7 years 200 people applied for the last job I got

Yep-at my school 7-8 years ago there were 70+ applicants for each going vacancy.

They are still advertising now to fill posts that teachers handed in their notice for at May half term! They're being covered by day to day supply, retired managent who have been begged to temporarily return and an NQT who failed their NQT year but is resitting it.

my point is that recruitment isn't the answer - a million nqts won't solve anything - it is retention that is the key.

I do agree with this. I have tossed up with coming over to the UK to teach, but my salary would take a big cut and the stories I hear about OFSTED and other issues puts me right off.

It doesn't help in Scotland that English qualified teachers with however many years experience can't teach without doing another probation year (at a probationers salary even if ten years qualified). Supply teachers are pretty much non existent. Round here it is difficult to recruit even TAs. The government responsible (SNP) is too focused on referenda and the central belt.

i didn't know that, about having to do a probation year if i came to teach in scotland. what's the rationale?

I saw on Facebook a teaching job advertised on a small Scottish island that they were having difficulty filling and were offering accommodation etc as a relocation package. I had thought-ooh, that would be challenge!! So, does that mean I'd have to be paid half my salary, as an English teacher, to take the role as a probationer??

Do you then have to slowly work you way up the pay scale all over again?!

Why is that? Is the Scottish teacher training considered far superior?

quite like the sound of a year on a socttish island but not at half pay i suspect.

As I understand it, once you've done your year you go back to whatever salary you were on. I think the training difference is English trainers do a PGCE whereas in Scotland they do a PGDE ie. a diploma instead of a certificate. I think it wold take barely a years experience to make up the difference a 5000 word project would make though so I can't see the rational for getting experienced teachers to redo probation. This is just an English thing as the EU forces them to recognise teaching qualifications from elsewhere in the EU...

Would and year's

I'd love to be a teacher. I reckon I'd really enjoy educating kids. But there is no way I'm committing my time and money to retraining to be treated like shite. So not only are they losing experienced and excellent staff but people like me have taken teaching off the list of professions we'd be willing to consider.

What do those of you in education reckon it will take before the powers that be realise the damage they have done / are doing. The same goes for medical professionals and police too.