ASCL comment on NFER report on worsening teacher shortages

Responding to analysis from the National Foundation for Educational Research (NFER), which states that increasingly uncompetitive pay, high workload and a lack of flexible working options are driving prospective graduates away from the teaching profession, Pepe Di'Iasio, General Secretary of the Association of School and College Leaders, said:

“Despite worsening teacher shortages posing a real threat to educational standards, there is cause for optimism as a result of this report. NFER's analysis suggests the number of young people interested in teaching, and similar careers that benefit others, is broadly stable or even slightly increasing. There is therefore no reason why the government's ambition of recruiting 6,500 teachers cannot be achieved or surpassed, providing the right steps are taken to put teaching on an equal footing with other graduate professions. This means offering pay that is comparable to other graduate jobs and ensuring manageable workloads across the board.

“This analysis shows that the motivation to become a teacher remains for many young people and it is now incumbent on the government to remove all disincentives and barriers as quickly as possible. It is essential that the next generation of aspiring teachers feels that the profession is a viable career choice for them.”