Ministers have been accused of making the teacher recruitment crisis worse by cutting funding to a highly praised program that helps older workers start new careers in the classroom.
There has already been an outcry over the decision to scrap the jobs program, with organizers saying that unless Rishi Sunak makes good on his party conference promise to prioritize education, there will be “few people left to teach children”. He is complaining.
Please tell me nowThe charity, co-founded by journalist-turned-teacher Lucy Kellaway and which runs the scheme, said the £1.7m program would be scrapped despite overreaching its recruitment target. The Department for Education (DfE) said it would not renew the contract. This means it will not be hiring any new teachers from September, although it said it was still “inundated” with applications.
This announcement comes on the heels of figures suggesting that 10 out of 17 secondary education subjects are likely to be under-recruited this academic year, and that there may continue to be a shortage of secondary teachers. It was announced on. Reaching approximately 61% of official target. Initial recruitment is generally on target, but is expected to be only 83% of the new target.
The end of the scheme appears to be part of the government’s wider efforts to save wherever possible as the DfE seeks to address a shortfall estimated at up to £1.5 billion to fund teacher pay rises. . We had to use our existing budget to cover most of the costs.
Funding for programs such as free national professional qualifications and additional teacher training courses for all schools has already been cut. The gubernatorial recruitment system is also scheduled to be abolished in September. Further reductions are expected. Kellaway, who quit his job as a journalist to become an economics teacher, said, “What the government is telling the people is, “There’s no professional support, so don’t teach anymore.”
The average age of new entrants to the system is 47, and most go into Stem subjects (science, technology, engineering and mathematics). Mr Kellaway said many people were entering the industry “without retiring” or using the scheme to escape a long period of economic stagnation. Mr Sunak has made it a priority. She said new hires are more likely to stay in the classroom than other teachers their age.
Paul Whiteman, general secretary of school leaders’ union NAHT, said this showed the government had “lost all ambition and all innovation if it is really starting to make these cuts”. Ta. He further added: Since entering this industry, he has been losing talent within three years. Teachers in their 40s and 50s who have been working for a long time are still being lost because they can’t pay their bills. ”
Some Now Teach support services will continue until 2026, but the offer will close in September without additional funding. Former education secretary Lord Blunkett said the scheme should be saved. “Having experienced people take over teaching is an imaginative and effective way to get the high-quality expert teachers our classrooms desperately need,” he said.
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Sam Freedman, strategic director at Teach First, who advised Michael Gove as education secretary, said: A successful pathway into education attracts people who would not otherwise enter the profession and costs less than the DfE spends refurbishing its own offices. This is the definition of ‘penny wise, pound stupid’ and I hope that Ministers will have the sense to reverse this decision. ”
A DfE spokesperson said: “The Career Changer Program supports and will continue to support career changers entering the teaching profession. We would like to thank Now Teach for their contribution in providing Now Teach. Career changers make a valuable contribution to the teaching profession. We are committed to continuing to recruit and support entry-level training through services such as Get Into Teaching, which provides one-on-one support and advice. It is working.”
