Plans for the education sector are already at risk as almost half of teachers reveal their plans to leave the profession. That’s according to specialist education staffing firm, The Supply Register.
In a recent survey, the firm found that 48% of teachers say they plan to leave the profession entirely, with a third (32%) set to do so within the next three years. This puts the Labour Government’s plans to recruit 6,500 new teachers at risk, with the gap between supply and demand growing quicker than it can be filled.
According to the survey of over 860 teachers, professionals themselves are also sceptical over Labour’s plans, with one in five (22%) stating that it would have no impact at all on the skills crisis.
Baljinder Kuller, founder and managing director of The Supply Register, commented on the concerning findings:
“The data suggests that the skills crisis in education is only going to get worse, with almost half of the existing workforce planning to leave the profession entirely, which would obviously have a catastrophic impact. This, combined with the pre-existing resourcing gap in education, means that the plans to recruit 6,500 new teachers will only scratch the surface of the issue and simply won’t cover the shortfall of those planning to leave.”
“Education is already battling a well-publicised skills shortage, and while we do need to encourage more people to join the industry, it’s clear that real focus must be placed on retention, and getting more individuals to stay. Every year, education loses approximately 40,000 professionals, and it’s easy to see why so many leave. Teachers face major challenges with stress, anxiety and ever-growing workloads, and rather than simply bringing in more staff, there needs to be more support and care for those already in the workforce.”
“Professional development also has to be reviewed. We know that many teachers, particularly in their first five years in roles, are leaving because they don’t feel they have access to appropriate training opportunities. Offering more chances to develop their skills not only benefits teachers themselves, but also the pupils under their tutelage. If we are truly serious about turning this crisis around then we need to both encourage more people to consider education as a viable career choice, but also help existing teachers so they remain in the workforce. If we don’t, then the new Government’s plans are already dead in the water.”
Featured Photo by National Cancer Institute on Unsplash.