Responding to a report by the National Foundation for Educational
Research, which states that teacher unfilled vacancies are at
their highest rates since records began, Pepe Di'Iasio, General
Secretary of the Association of School and College Leaders, said:
“The government must heed this warning before it is too late. We
are far beyond the point where small steps and half measures can
address the scale of the recruitment and retention crisis in
education.
“The government's target of recruiting 6,500 new teachers is a
step in the right direction, but there is no clear plan for
achieving it. Success will require action on a scale far greater
than anything seen so far.
“Meanwhile, the government's proposal of an unfunded 2.8% pay
award for school teachers in 2025-26 is likely to make matters
worse, not better. It falls short of what is needed to improve
recruitment and retention, and expecting schools to make further
‘efficiencies' – after years of cuts – is completely unrealistic.
Colleges face an even greater challenge, as their funding
constraints make pay awards even harder to deliver.
“Reducing excessive workloads is key to tackling teacher
shortages, but this requires systemic change. While artificial
intelligence may help ease some pressures, it is no silver
bullet. Schools and colleges have increasingly been asked to do
more with less. To compound matters, Ofsted's plan to introduce a
new five-point grading scale for inspections will only increase
pressure on leaders and teachers, making recruitment and
retention even harder.
“The government must take decisive action to address teacher
shortages and ensure that schools and colleges have the staff
they need to deliver high-quality education. This is particularly
urgent for institutions serving disadvantaged communities, which
often struggle the most to recruit and retain staff. The upcoming
spending review must provide the necessary funding for the
Department for Education to develop a meaningful strategy to
tackle this crisis.”
