Government lack “coherent” plan to address teacher recruitment crisis

The government has consistently failed to hit recruitment targets as teacher shortages increase, a report shows.

According to a report by the Education Select Committee, the government has missed recruitment targets for the last five years, and in 2016/17 the number of graduates starting teacher training decreased.

The report went on to say that the government is aware of these issues, but “lack a coherent, long-term plan to effectively address them”.

The committee has also suggested that the government’s focus on English Baccalaureate (EBacc) is likely to exacerbate existing problems and increase demand for teachers in subjects that are experiencing shortages.

They also believe that teachers’ workload outside of school should be capped in a bid to improve retention.

The report goes on to say that the government and National College for Teaching and Leadership should create a 10-year-plan to improve “both the supply of new and retention of existing teachers”, which should be published before the end of the school summer this year.

It has been suggested to include: evidence-based initiatives and investment to tackle subject specialist shortages at both primary and secondary level; plans to focus recruitment to regions of the country in most need, particularly since the failure of the National Teaching Service; the range and performance of ITT providers in terms of recruitment and retention of teachers; and a thorough plan for the evaluation of any initiatives and how any findings will feed into future plans for teacher recruitment.

The committee also state that continuing professional development (CPD) improves teaching practice, professionalism and can help improve teacher retention and until now, England has had a weaker commitment to CPD than many high-performing countries.

Commenting on the report, Chris Keates, general secretary of the NASUWT union, said: “This report should act as a wake-up call to ministers that falling back on sticking plaster solutions such as the failed National Teaching Service will do nothing to address the systemic causes of the teacher supply crisis.

“It is the Government’s own policies which have resulted in excessive and increasing teacher workloads, dwindling pay, starting salaries which are increasingly uncompetitive with other graduate professions and the relentless pressure of the high-stakes accountability regime.

“These factors are driving existing teachers out of the profession, sapped of energy and enthusiasm for the job, and deterring new entrants.”

Keates added: “The committee is clear that we have a serious national teacher recruitment and retention issue which is affecting all subjects and all localities.

“In the face of the overwhelming and growing evidence of the problem, the Government must face up to the crisis it has created.”