Public Accounts Committee: Training new teachers

18/02/2016

ASCL has been warning for some time that a crisis in teacher supply was imminent, a crisis that has now arrived. Clearly, there are issues of retention as well as recruitment but for some time too few new teachers have been trained, especially teachers of some shortage subjects.

In response to ASCL’s recent surveys, which were undertaken at the autumn regional conferences, 83.4% school leaders said that they were experiencing unprecedented challenges in recruiting teachers. Furthermore, in response to the question, ‘how did this year’s teacher recruitment compare to last?’ 44.6% of leaders stated that it was much more difficult than in previous years, 38.8% more difficult than in previous years and 15.3% the same as last year. Qualitative data, collated in response to a call for examples from headteachers, illustrated the depth of concern, with several respondents who have been in education for a number of years comparing the current situation to that of the 1980s when recruitment was at crisis point. Teacher supply is now one of the most significant issues affecting schools and their communities.

Read the response in full.