With more strikes taking place this week and growing uncertainty over the future of Education, we’ve taken a dive into some worrying statistics that highlight the urgency of the teacher retention crisis.
Nearly a third of all teachers who qualified between 2011 and 2020 have since left the profession, and recent schools week analysis showed maintained schools spent a combined £622 million on supply cover in years 2021 to 2022, up more than a third on the prior year.
The TeachVac labour market report for teachers in England between January 2022/July 2022 makes for grisly reading, and highlights increasingly concerning trends that will need to be tackled swiftly if we are to retain the best talent. If we look at the Secondary sector specifically, there has been a huge spike in vacancies from 2021 to 2022 alone.
Source: TeachVac
Although there is less pressure on the primary sector in terms of overall teacher supply, there is still an alarming increase in the total number of primary vacancies being advertised year over year.
Source: TeachVac
Recent figures also continue to highlight ongoing government recruitment failures, with only 59% of the target for trainees recruited into initial teacher training being reached for the year 2022/23, down even further from 79% of the target being reached for the prior year.
At the time of writing this article, there are also thousands of international teaching jobs being advertised across UK based recruitment platforms, with more lucrative salaries, furnished accommodation, medical and life insurance, visa support, and other benefits being offered. Putting the ethics of recruitment platforms actively pushing international opportunities for commercial gain aside, there’s no arguing that eloping wouldn’t be an attractive proposition to a young teacher with little life responsibilities.
The numbers tell a clear story and the government MUST do more. Investing in the education system is investing in the future of the country, and retaining high-quality teachers is essential to achieving this. Improve pay, lower workload, and start giving teachers the respect they deserve before it’s too late.
What are your thoughts on the ongoing recruitment and retention crisis and do you see a light at the end of the tunnel? Let us know in the comments below.
This article was written by the TeacherHaven team, help us support education by contributing to our blog, email us at info@doceoconsulting.co.uk
