ASCL comment on rising school vacancies

Commenting on new research from the Recruitment and Employment Confederation, which shows a significant increase in vacancies in nursery, primary and secondary schools, Geoff Barton, General Secretary of the Association of School and College Leaders, said:

“It’s a desperately sad state of affairs when schools are unable to attract people to what should be an enjoyable and rewarding career. Teacher shortages are a long-term problem that has only worsened since the pandemic. As many other professions are able to offer greater flexibility, including hybrid working, other aspects such as pay and conditions become increasingly important. So when faced with real-terms pay cuts, unsustainable workload pressures and a punitive accountability system it should not come as a surprise that graduates and experienced professionals alike are turning away from teaching.

“The education system cannot function properly if it does not have enough teachers. This should be obvious to everyone but the government has done nowhere near enough to address the cause of the shortages and their recent pay offer suggests they still haven’t grasped the scale of the issue.”