'Poor pay and extreme pressure' pushing Dorset teachers out of profession
Teacher vacancies across Dorset are on the rise according to unions
Last updated 11th Jun 2024
Teacher vacancies across Dorset have more than doubled in the last three years, with many leaving due to stress.
Data found that teacher vacancies jumped by a fifth to 2,800, and more than doubled from 1,100 over the last three years.
Unions are calling for a reform to the harmful high-stakes Ofsted inspections, including an end to blunt single-word grades.
Martin Menear, senior regional officer for the NEU in Dorset, told us: “We'd like to see Ofsted abolished or significantly changed so it becomes a supportive process for schools to get better rather than a punitive one where teachers feel the pressure.
“A lot of our members become seriously ill, struggle with their mental health and are often overcome with stress and anxiety due to the harsh Ofsted ratings.”
Latest figures show there has been a 20% drop in people training to be teachers, highlighting the difficulties with recruitment.
Inadequate pay and a lack of funding is “exacerbating the situation” as many schools face a retention crisis.
Mr Menear says there has been a “massive increase” in class sizes, leading to difficult educational outcomes for children and increased pressure for teachers.
He said: “Over a million children in Britain are in classes of over 30 and because the funding isn't there for teaching assistants or support staff which is impacting on teachers’ wellbeing.”
New government data shows the number of new teachers has fallen by almost 4,000, and nearly as many are leaving the profession as are starting out in it.
We’ve been told many schools are struggling to deliver the full curriculum and subjects are being taught by non-specialists or supply teachers.
Mr Menear added: “I don't think we can reasonably expect a PE teacher to deliver as good a Maths education as a specialist Maths teacher and it’s worrying because the whole future of our society depends on our children being educated to the highest possible standard.”
Experts are now calling for the next government to commit to addressing this issue and supporting teachers.