Teachers union warns of ‘deepening recruitment and retention crisis’

The NASUWT published a Manifesto For Teachers which called for action on pay, “spiralling” workloads and long working hours.

The union said schools and colleges were under huge pressure because of funding cuts.

Parties have been urged to commit to a New Deal For Teachers in their manifestos, including real terms pay restoration, the right for every child to be taught by a qualified teacher, a commitment to increase teacher numbers and improve teacher-pupil ratios, and access to affordable housing for teachers who work in areas of high housing cost.

NASUWT general secretary Patrick Roach said “No government can claim to value teachers whilst presiding over a system that has seen teachers’ pay fall by more than 25% in real terms in the last decade and when there is mounting evidence of teachers being broken by excessive working hours and by the unsustainable demands placed on them.

“The status and morale of teachers and headteachers as members of a highly regarded and accordingly remunerated occupation need to be protected and enhanced.

“This is an ambitious programme for the Government but NASUWT believes that such an agenda is essential to securing a world-class education system that allows all children and young people to flourish and succeed.

“We urge all parties to commit to pursuing this policy platform. Teachers are voters too and we ask all political parties to listen and respond to the priorities identified by the teaching profession.

“Our children’s education depends on securing a Better Deal For Teachers.”

Figures published by the Government earlier this year revealed the number of teacher vacancies in England increased from 1,564 in November 2021 to 2,334 12 months later.

The data also showed temporarily filled school staff positions increased from 2,247 in 2021 to 3,308 in 2022.

Overall, the 61 schools in the Portsmouth local authority area had about 1,511 full-time teachers in the 2022/23 academic year, a fall from 1,536 in 2021-22.

Elsewhere, data from teaching jobs site TeachVac shows primary and secondary schools in Hampshire posted 3,027 vacancies through its website over the course of 2022 – up by 68% on 1,803 the year before.

Of these, 950 were advertised by primary schools and 2,077 by secondary schools.

Across England, teacher vacancies increased significantly in 2022 as the profession faced increasing recruitment and retention pressures following the coronavirus pandemic – job listings on TeachVac increased from 64,283 in 2021 to 107,104 last year.