Commenting on the NFER’s Teacher Labour Market 2024 report, which
shows that problems with the recruitment and retention of
teachers are persisting, Dr Patrick Roach, General
Secretary of NASUWT-The Teachers’ Union, said:
“This is yet further damning evidence of a crisis in teacher
recruitment and retention caused by the Government’s failure to
invest in and value the teaching profession.
“Without measures to address the systemic failings of excessive
workload, long working hours and pay erosion, this is a crisis
that is set to go from bad to much worse.
“Teachers and school leaders have persistently reported that
pupil behaviour has deteriorated since the pandemic and that
dealing with disruption, verbal and physical abuse and pupils
with mental health problems is taking up an increasing amount of
their time.
“The lack of specialist services and external support has left
teachers and school leaders being expected to play the role of
counsellor, behaviour therapist and security guard, in addition
to their teaching responsibilities.
“Set against a backdrop of declining and increasingly
uncompetitive rates of pay, it is little wonder that experienced
teachers and headteachers are leaving prematurely and fewer
graduates are choosing to come into teaching.
“The next Government cannot follow its predecessor by burying its
head in the sand over the scale of the teacher recruitment and
retention crisis. The implications are becoming greater with each
passing year, as is the cost to our children and young people of
inaction by ministers.”
