ASCL comment on EEF review into teacher recruitment and retention

Julie McCulloch, director of policy at the Association of School and College Leaders, responds to a review from the Education Endowment Foundation into the challenges with the recruitment and retention of teachers

“Teacher shortages are a growing problem that pose a significant threat to educational standards. It is clear by looking at the repeatedly missed recruitment targets and high level of vacancies that teaching is not deemed as attractive as similar graduate professions.

“Pay erosion over the last decade has undoubtedly contributed towards this and needs to be reversed, but it is important that this is applied fairly across the education sector. Targeted approaches will only serve to further demoralise those who are not deemed eligible for pay incentives and exacerbate other problems such as staff retention.
 
“We fully support the review’s findings that tackling unmanageable workload is key to improving retention. Workloads have been driven up by the underfunding of education and a punitive system of inspections and performance targets and this is pushing teachers into other industries. This trend will only continue unless meaningful change is made to teacher pay and conditions in a way that is affordable for all schools.”