Teacher shortages: attraction is not just about money

Jo Faragher

This week education recruiter Connex Education warned that a “potentially toxic mix” of increasing pupil numbers, financial issues and not enough graduates entering the profession was threatening to leave schools short of staff.

It claimed that schools needed to do more to optimise their recruitment strategies, and demand more from their recruitment partners.

One of the key issues schools face – particularly those that are run separately from local education authorities – is that they need to offer competitive salaries, often when budgets are constrained.

Private and public sector employers alike appreciate the impact of not being able to target the right skills – targets might not be met as quickly as they would like. But in schools, not having committed, long-term teachers in position can be of real detriment to the pupils. Bringing in supply staff can only plaster over the cracks in the short term.

A further issue is the perception of the profession among graduates. Despite extensive government advertising campaigns and higher salary levels, particularly in subjects where recruitment falls really short, many students still consider a career in teaching to be less attractive than, say, working in the City or for a consumer brand.

Tales abound of trainee teachers, fresh out of university, struggling to make their newly qualified teacher status because of the many pressures they have to face. They’re hardly going to inspire their peers to join the profession when they’re working long after the final bell has rung and spending all weekend preparing notes for the next week or marking.

Connex is right that there are “structural problems” in the education system that have contributed to overwork and stress among new teachers, and that end up pushing many experienced ones out of the profession. Recruiters can help by having honest conversations both with schools and potential recruits about the realities of the job, both positive and negative.

They can also help improve the experience of teaching by supporting candidates in professional development and helping them build resilience. If someone is working on supply and needs support in a particular area, teaching agencies could facilitate a way for teachers to share tips, lesson plans or even just a listening ear.

The risk cited in the Connex report isn’t about to disappear any time soon, but attracting talent into the education sector should not just be down to schools digging deep to raise salaries – agencies can play a part as well.