ASCL comment on the initial teacher training census

Geoff Barton responds to the initial teacher training census for the academic year 2022/23, which shows only 59% of secondary teachers and 93% of primary teachers were recruited compared to target figures

Barton, general secretary of the Association of School and College Leaders, said: “These figures for recruiting trainee teachers are nothing short of catastrophic.

“The government has consistently missed its own targets for recruitment over the course of the past decade but this is a new low. Teacher shortages are already at crisis point and such a substantial shortfall in recruiting trainees means this situation will become even worse. The shortfall in physics teachers – only 17% of target – is particularly concerning as this subject already suffers from acute shortages, but the same is true of modern foreign languages, computing, design and technology, and a number of other subjects.

“A key cause of this crisis is the long-term erosion of teacher pay which has fallen in real-terms by a fifth since 2010 making it uncompetitive in the graduate market place. This is compounded by the government’s underfunding of schools which has driven up workload and made the profession less attractive. The government has to recognise and address these pressures instead of constantly burying its head in the sand. No target or ambition for education is achievable without the ability to put teachers in front of classes and it is increasingly difficult to do that.”