PISA insights: Wellbeing and recruitment

ASCL’s Geoff Barton delves into the implications of the latest PISA scores, highlighting the concerning decline in student well-being and the pressing issue of teacher shortages
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CREDIT: This is an edited version of an article that originally appeared on ASCL

Beyond the discussions around test scores, PISA reveals other notable findings, with a spotlight on the well-being of young people. Natalie Perera, from the Education Policy Institute, emphasised this by stating, “The reported life satisfaction scores of UK students fell drastically between 2015 and 2022, to the extent that the UK now has the second lowest average life satisfaction of 15 year-olds across all OECD countries.”

We can guess at the cocktail of reasons involved – child poverty, lack of sufficient mental health support, the negative impact of social media, an exam system in England where government reforms have ratcheted up the pressure on young people, and the disruption and isolation caused by the Covid pandemic. All these are likely factors.

Indeed, on the first item in this list, the BBC reported another finding from PISA – teenagers in the UK are skipping more meals because of poverty than in many other Western European countries.

All this makes for grim but unsurprising reading. It chimes with the experience of school and college leaders who frequently report rising rates of both poverty and poor mental health among students – factors which are not only a source of misery but also have an impact on educational attainment.

Teachers in short supply

And the PISA results also point to something else which has an effect on attainment – teacher shortages. The study found that 54% of students in the UK were in schools whose headteacher reported that teaching is hindered by a lack of teaching staff.

This is higher than the OECD average and a steep rise compared to 2018. It is unlikely to get better any time soon. Figures released yesterday on postgraduate recruitment to teacher training courses in England for 2023 to 2024 show that only half of the secondary recruitment target was achieved.

So, when policymakers consider how to improve attainment, whether that is in PISA tests or other measures, it’s important that they are focusing on the right things.

Call to action

Firstly, we have to do more to support the wellbeing of young people. The rising tide of stress, anxiety and depression is simply unacceptable. In particular, politicians on all sides must commit to eradicating child poverty.

Secondly, policymakers have to get real about teacher shortages. No education system can deliver good outcomes for all its young people without the teachers to teach them. It is the vital resource upon which all targets and ambitions are dependent.

Everybody recognises there are actions that could improve the recruitment and retention crisis. Better pay, better funding, reform of the accountability system.

For school leaders, the key takeaway from the PISA insights is the pivotal role of prioritising teacher recruitment and well-being initiatives. Fostering happy students and cultivating a resilient workforce emerges as the fundamental foundation for sustained success within the school community.