Commenting on the new entrant figures for Initial Teacher
Training in 2024/25, as published by the Department for Education
today, Rosamund McNeil, Assistant General Secretary of
the National Education Union, said:
"This data illustrates the depth of the recruitment crisis. The
DfE has missed its target for new postgraduate trainees by 31%,
meaning it has missed targets in 10 of the last 12 years. We do
not want to be telling this story for another decade.
"Under-recruitment is most pronounced in shortage subjects, but
the figures show serious problems exist across the profession.
This year has seen the lowest number of primary trainees on
recent record. We face targets missed in three quarters of
secondary subjects – most of these by very wide margins. A
majority of secondary trainees now receive either a bursary or a
salary, and yet the overall secondary target was still missed by
38%.
"Narrowly-targeted measures aren't enough. The Government must
act to ensure teaching can compete as a career and vocation for
graduates.
"Restoring professional status requires an urgent, major
across-the-board correction to teacher pay, alongside ambitious
strategies on workload. The Government must make recruiting and
retaining staff its absolute priority, as it underscores
everything else. Parents really do expect their child to be
taught by subject specialists and school leaders can't hold the
system together without teachers, or experienced teachers to
mentor new joiners."
