Alarm Bells Ringing
Imagine walking into your English class, only to find there’s no teacher! That’s the grim reality many schools in England are grappling with. As the new school year looms in September, hundreds of schools are scrambling to fill English teacher vacancies. It’s a crisis that has left headteachers scratching their heads.
The Usual Suspects
Maths, science, computer science, and design technology – these subjects have always been tough to find teachers for. But now, English, a subject that used to be a lifesaver in recruitment, has joined the ranks. The cause? Low pay, overwork, and the pressure of inspections. If this continues, we might see classrooms bursting at the seams and students falling behind.
Strike a Pose
Teachers aren’t taking this lying down. The National Education Union is planning two days of strike action in July. They’re demanding a pay rise that beats inflation and assurances that the money won’t be pinched from existing school budgets.
Quitting the Classroom
Last year, a whopping 40,000 teachers hung up their chalk and left the profession. That’s the highest number since records began in 2010. Even subjects like English, which used to have plenty of teachers, are now facing shortages.
It is a crisis, and I don’t use that word lightly.
Jonny Uttley, CEO of the Education Alliance.
Desperate Measures
Over 900 schools are advertising English teaching jobs for an immediate or September start. Some schools are even resorting to promoting staff who they wouldn’t have considered before. The situation is so dire that one trust had to spend £50,000 just on recruitment fees.
The Impact
The lack of qualified English teachers will hit the poorest children hardest.
English is absolutely critical not just because of the subject itself, but because reading and writing skills open up the whole rest of the curriculum.
Lee Elliot Major, Professor of Social Mobility, University of Exeter.
The Future
What does the future hold? Well, it’s not looking rosy. Applications for English teacher training courses are down by about a third across the country. The number of students choosing to study English at A-level has also slumped, leading to a fall in the number of students taking a degree in English.
What’s Being Done?
The Department for Education is trying to attract candidates into teaching with a range of initiatives, including a £15,000 bursary for prospective English teachers training this autumn. But will it be enough to turn the tide? Only time will tell.