NEU responds to EPI analysis on the teaching workforce 

Commenting on an analysis of the post-pandemic school workforce, published today by the Education Policy Institute, Dr Mary Bousted, Joint General Secretary of the National Education Union, said:    

"The latest EPI analysis confirms that the deep rooted and critical problems within teacher recruitment and retention have not been solved.   

“While we welcome anyone who wishes to train to become a teacher, it was widely believed that the bounce in applications during the pandemic would not alleviate the challenges in the long term. This has proven to be the case. It is also clear that retaining those who become teachers is a serious and persistent problem. According to the government's own data 1 in 8 are leaving within their first year, a quarter within three years of qualifying, and almost a third gone within five years.   

“Any government should rightly ask itself searching questions about what it is that drives people out of such an important profession. Efforts must be made by the Education Secretary to tackle the causes of excessive workload, and instead of cutting pay in real terms the Chancellor would do well to rethink his damaging policy on public sector pay. This is not a sustainable situation."