North East education leader warns of teaching recruitment crisis

Professor Lynne McKenna, Dean of the Faculty of Education and Society at the University of Sunderland, has expressed serious concern about the challenges currently facing education providers in a sector still trying to play catch-up from the pandemic.

Speaking to more than 100 Department for Education (DfE) staff at an online DfE Women’s Network, Professor McKenna outlined the obstacles which she warned were contributing to what has become known as the ‘Great Resignation’ of teachers from the profession.

Professor McKenna said: “For school leaders, the challenges are clearly around catch-up and recovery as the world emerges from the pandemic.

“Our children have had over two years of disruption to their education.

“Of course, school leaders are managing this at a time in education where teachers are feeling rather bruised, battered and exhausted.

“Once the heroes of the pandemic, the teaching profession is once again finding itself under enormous pressure, with increased workloads and bureaucracy.”

Professor Lynne McKenna. Picture: DAVID WOOD

Prof McKenna said experienced teachers are leaving the profession and there are not enough new teachers to replace them.

She said there is also an unprecedented decline in initial teacher training (ITT) applications which means the sector is facing a teacher recruitment crisis ‘like no other’.

Prof McKenna added: “This at a point in time when we need teachers most to support with the recovery of ‘lost learning’.”

Professor McKenna highlighted the disruption that had been caused to providers of ITT due to the implementation of new DfE requirements.

Beth Farhat

Beth Farhat, regional secretary of National Education Union, said many of the challenges for teachers long predate Covid.

She said: “With schools struggling to fill vacant posts, this is clearly not a sustainable situation.

“It is a dismal state of affairs for a government which professes to want a world class education system yet treats those they expect to run it so appallingly.

“Nadhim Zahawi would do well to reflect on this and strive to make amends on pressure points that are entirely within his control.”

Read more: North East Ambulance whistleblower 'bullied' over cover-up claims

Dr Patrick Roach, general secretary of the NASUWT, said uncompetitive pay levels and the failure to address excessive workloads, exacerbated by the pandemic, are contributing to a worsening picture on teacher supply.

He said data shows that by 2020, over 40 per cent of those who had entered the teaching profession ten years previously were no longer teaching.

 An NASUWT pay survey indicates that 70% per cent of teachers have considered leaving their job in the last 12 months.

Dr Roach said: “We believe that the current challenges facing the profession are so significant that the Government must look more broadly at remuneration and implement structural reform of the teachers’ pay framework in order to ensure it is fit for purpose in recruiting, retaining and adequately rewarding current and future cohorts of teachers.

“A better deal for teachers on pay, workload and wellbeing is long overdue and is essential if we are to be able to recruit and retain the number of teachers needed in the coming years.”

The Department for Education has been contacted by the Northern Echo for comment.

---

Keep up to date with all the latest news on our website, or follow us on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram.

You can also follow our dedicated County Durham Facebook page for all the latest in the area by clicking here.

For all the top news updates from right across the region straight to your inbox, sign up to our newsletter here.

Have you got a story for us? Contact our newsdesk on newsdesk@nne.co.uk or contact 01325 505054