NEU comments on NFER study on teacher supply

Commenting on a National Foundation for Educational Research study of the implications of teacher supply challenges, Kevin Courtney, Joint General Secretary of the National Education Union, said:    

"The government has failed to recruit and retain sufficient teachers into the profession for many years now and it is clear that it must act quickly to restore teaching as an attractive graduate profession. Pay, professional agency, and workload problems have now built to crisis point. Parents rightly expect their child to be taught by a qualified subject teacher, but, under constant financial pressure, schools are struggling to match need to specialist staff. For the sake of educational quality and students’ life chances, the NEU is adamant that a fully-funded, above inflation pay rise for all teachers is a critical first step."