Norfolk teachers says schools in the county are "haemorrhaging" staff
The warning comes ahead of the Spring Budget
A teacher in Norfolk is telling us that schools across the county are "haemorrhaging" specialist staff - with cost of living pressures and workload driving many away.
The warning comes ahead of the Spring Budget today, where Chancellor Jeremy Hunt will lay out the Government's economic plans for the rest of the year.
There's currently little detail on what it will include, but it's widely thought that National Insurance will be cut by 2%.
"They're wondering why they are doing it"
Scott Lyons works as a primary school teacher in Norwich:
"Pay and funding is always the first issue that we hear about. Pay is still not keeping up even after we all campaigned for teachers to get a 6.5% pay rise vs a 2.5% rise that was being offered by the Government.
"Parents are shortly going to see the disappearance of adults in schools, if nothing is done. Support staff are always under-strain and when some are getting £10 an hour, they're wondering why they are doing it. While some schools can't even afford to keep them.
"A teacher's salary can barely get them their rent or fuel"
"Schools here are "haemorrhaging" staff at the moment. Unfortunately a lot of young people who are coming into the profession are finding it really difficult after just a few years.
"That's in terms of some pupils' behaviour and pay. A teacher's salary can barely get them their rent or the fuel to get into work.
"I know the Government will talk about the recruitment figures - as they look really good on the surface. But if you look a little deeper into them you'll see that they're being bumped up by recruitment from other countries.
"We've got to be asking why we can't grow our own teachers, here.
"The lack of specialists means that Science and Geography lessons are being taught by people that are being asked to step in. It means that children who are passionate about something aren't going to be met with somebody who has the same view. I don't think that's good for our children, our society or education."
What's the Government said?
The Department for Education say they're putting £60 billion into the Education sector across this year and next - and gave teachers a 6.5 per cent pay rise last September.
Latest teacher vacancy data can be seen here.