Angela Rayner comments on number of teachers declining for the first time in over six years

Angela Rayner MP, Labour’s Shadow Education Secretary, commenting on the number of teachers declining for the first time in over six years, said:

“These appalling statistics are a direct result of this Tory government’s failure to give hard-working teachers the support they need. Ministers have admitted that their policies have left teachers thousands of pounds worse off in real terms, yet teachers’ workloads continue to skyrocket, driving teachers out of our classrooms.

“As vacancies continue to rise, schools will be left with no choice but spending more and more on supply agencies, which are costing schools hundreds of millions of pounds a year because of this Government’s failure to recruit the teachers we need.

“The Government must act urgently to end the crisis they have created in teacher recruitment and retention. They can do this by listening to Labour, and ensuring that there is new money from the Treasury to fund the pay rise our teachers have long deserved.”

Ends

Notes to editors

• Data published by the Government today shows that the number of teachers (FTE) in publicly funded schools fell by over 5,000 between 2016 and 2017.

Source: Department for Education, School Workforce in England: November 2017, p4
https://assets.publishing.service.gov.uk/government/uploads/system/uploads/attachment_data/file/719772/SWFC_MainText.pdf