UK Teacher Shortage

The government has missed teacher recruitment targets for the past four years, an official spending watchdog has revealed.

00:00 11 February 2016

A report from the National Audit Office has revealed that the government has been missing its teacher recruitment targets for the past four years. Because of this, a huge percentage of major subjects are being taught by teachers with no more than an A-level in such subjects.

 

The report added that the Department for Education "has a weak understanding of the extent of local teacher supply shortages and whether they are being resolved.”

 

"The department takes a national approach to recruitment but has more to do to understand important local and regional issues."

 

Also, the report revealed that £700million is spent a year on recruiting and training new teachers.

 

"Until the department meets its targets and can show how its approach is improving trainee recruitment, quality and retention, we cannot conclude that the arrangements for training new teachers are value for money," said NAO head Amyas Morse.

 

Meanwhile, the National Union of Teachers general secretary Christine Blower said that the figures will not improve unless radical changes will be implemented.

 

"Unless government radically tackles the pay, workload and excessive accountability that teachers currently suffer, this is a situation that will get increasingly worse.”