Will the Future Show an Insufficiency of Teachers?

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In a recent poll, it was observed that over 44% of teachers in England plan on quitting their job by 2027.

The National Education Union (NEU) released figures on Monday ahead of its annual conference in Bournemouth this week, finding that 44 percent of teachers aim to retire by 2027.

In a study of 1,788 teachers, one-fifth (22%) said they planned to leave in the next two years. Teachers stated their high workload played a major role in their decision to leave. More than half of those polled (52%) stated their workload was “unmanageable” or “unmanageable most of the time,” compared to 35% in 2021.

The key reason for this was excessive workload, as stated by nearly 65 percent of the respondents. Another significant factor in this was the level of trust in teachers by the public and government.

Pay and accountability were also mentioned as factors for teachers contemplating leaving. One instructor stated, “I am desperate to get out of education owing to the workload, frequent monitoring, and paperwork.”

Teachers stated it was difficult for schools to fill vacancies, causing them to double up on jobs, with 73% saying the problem had gotten worse since the pandemic began.

Since March 2020, two-thirds of secondary school teachers (66%) say the shortage of teaching assistant and support staff positions has worsened. One respondent stated that there were “far too few” teaching assistants, and that they were being expected to cover more classes than they had in the past.

The joint secretary general of the NEU, Dr Mary Bousted said regarding the successive education secretaries that they had, “failed to get a grip on the issues facing teachers”.

She added that teaching used to be a “great and fulfilling job”, and people entered this profession because they wished to make a difference. “Yet the government makes this more difficult, and if we are to collectively do the right thing for young people then we must be able to deliver the education they deserve. That change must come from the top”.

The inability to help out teachers with their requirements can lead to a massive fall in the education industry in the UK. The government needs to take quick action on this.