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| Teacher supply agencies searching as far as Canada and Singapore to plug staffing gaps | Teacher supply agencies searching as far as Canada and Singapore to plug staffing gaps |
| (6 months later) | |
| Teacher supply agencies are being forced to search as far afield as Canada and Singapore to plug school staffing gaps as a result of a shortage of fully trained recruits in the UK. | Teacher supply agencies are being forced to search as far afield as Canada and Singapore to plug school staffing gaps as a result of a shortage of fully trained recruits in the UK. |
| However, strict limits on work permits have meant that up to 60 teachers recruited from the USA to start work in September are unlikely to turn up - as they have been refused permission to work in the UK. | However, strict limits on work permits have meant that up to 60 teachers recruited from the USA to start work in September are unlikely to turn up - as they have been refused permission to work in the UK. |
| Tish Seabourne, managing director of TimePlan, said she had written to Education Secretary Nicky Morgan to lift the ban. | Tish Seabourne, managing director of TimePlan, said she had written to Education Secretary Nicky Morgan to lift the ban. |
| “I just fail to see how in any way a special needs teacher from America is going to damage the UK economy if they come over here to teach,” she said. | “I just fail to see how in any way a special needs teacher from America is going to damage the UK economy if they come over here to teach,” she said. |
| “Yet when we applied for the Tier Two visas (the necessary work permits) in June - we were told the annual quota had been filled. It was the same story in July.” | “Yet when we applied for the Tier Two visas (the necessary work permits) in June - we were told the annual quota had been filled. It was the same story in July.” |
| Both TimePlan, which has around 1,200 teachers on its books in any given year, and Aquinas, a growing agency based in Nottingham with 200 teachers on its books, have also been trawling for recruits in Canada. Australian and New Zealand are also being targeted. | Both TimePlan, which has around 1,200 teachers on its books in any given year, and Aquinas, a growing agency based in Nottingham with 200 teachers on its books, have also been trawling for recruits in Canada. Australian and New Zealand are also being targeted. |
| Recruitment to the profession has been hit by a “four times whammy”, according to Kevin Courtney, deputy general secretary of the National Union of Teachers. | Recruitment to the profession has been hit by a “four times whammy”, according to Kevin Courtney, deputy general secretary of the National Union of Teachers. |
| “Firstly, as the economy picks up, there are more opportunities for alternative employment,” he said. | “Firstly, as the economy picks up, there are more opportunities for alternative employment,” he said. |
| “Then there is a need for more teachers because of the demographics of the rising pupil population. | “Then there is a need for more teachers because of the demographics of the rising pupil population. |
| “Thirdly, people are leaving because of the workload.” The annual workforce statistics showed a 10,000 drop in the number of 50-year-olds still in teaching in the last four years to 75,500 in 2014." | “Thirdly, people are leaving because of the workload.” The annual workforce statistics showed a 10,000 drop in the number of 50-year-olds still in teaching in the last four years to 75,500 in 2014." |
| Mr Courtney added: “Fourthly, there is what they have done to the pay system. We’re facing a freeze limiting rise to one per cent over the next four years - and they’ve stopped automatic progression through the pay scales. It is only a minority of teachers who made pay progression last year.” | |
| Craig Anderson, education managing director of Aquinas - which is targeting Ireland and possibly Singapore as well as Canada, said: “We’ve gone for English speaking countries first and Singapore because of the quality of the maths teaching there. | Craig Anderson, education managing director of Aquinas - which is targeting Ireland and possibly Singapore as well as Canada, said: “We’ve gone for English speaking countries first and Singapore because of the quality of the maths teaching there. |
| “We’ve certainly seen a gap in the market this year and schools are struggling much more to fill places. | “We’ve certainly seen a gap in the market this year and schools are struggling much more to fill places. |
| “The main problem is there is a lack of respect for teachers and a lack of earning potential. | “The main problem is there is a lack of respect for teachers and a lack of earning potential. |
| “I do explain to those teachers I recruit from abroad that unfortunately there is a massive workload and there is a disrespect for teachers. Teachers used to be held in respect like doctors but not any more.” | “I do explain to those teachers I recruit from abroad that unfortunately there is a massive workload and there is a disrespect for teachers. Teachers used to be held in respect like doctors but not any more.” |
| Ms Seabourne, from TimePlan, added that it had always recruited from abroad - but was having to step up its efforts as a result of the shortage of trained teachers now available in the UK. | Ms Seabourne, from TimePlan, added that it had always recruited from abroad - but was having to step up its efforts as a result of the shortage of trained teachers now available in the UK. |
| “It’s not just maths, chemistry and physics teachers we’re short of,” she said. “It’s geography, special needs and even early years in London because of the increase in the population.” | “It’s not just maths, chemistry and physics teachers we’re short of,” she said. “It’s geography, special needs and even early years in London because of the increase in the population.” |
| Mr Courtney said that he had been told of one Canadian teacher who had fled back to his home country on discovering the workload, telling his former UK colleagues: “You’re all mad.” | Mr Courtney said that he had been told of one Canadian teacher who had fled back to his home country on discovering the workload, telling his former UK colleagues: “You’re all mad.” |
| He added that schools were trying to plug staffing gaps by using teaching assistants. | He added that schools were trying to plug staffing gaps by using teaching assistants. |
| “I think we’re not at an absolute crisis yet but I think there will be a significant number of unqualified teachers filling vacancies,” he added. “The trouble is it doesn’t look good on your returns ( if you can’t attract staff) and some heads might try to cover it up.” | “I think we’re not at an absolute crisis yet but I think there will be a significant number of unqualified teachers filling vacancies,” he added. “The trouble is it doesn’t look good on your returns ( if you can’t attract staff) and some heads might try to cover it up.” |
| In her response to Ms Seabourne, Mrs Morgan said: “Teaching is a hugely popular career with more teachers in England’s classrooms than ever before and record levels of top graduates entering the profession. | In her response to Ms Seabourne, Mrs Morgan said: “Teaching is a hugely popular career with more teachers in England’s classrooms than ever before and record levels of top graduates entering the profession. |
| “We are clear that no sector should be automatically turning to immigration to resolve workforce difficulties. As the Prime Minister has stated, we need to reduce the demand for migrant labour.” | “We are clear that no sector should be automatically turning to immigration to resolve workforce difficulties. As the Prime Minister has stated, we need to reduce the demand for migrant labour.” |
| She added that no jobs on the shortage occupation list - which included maths, physicvs and chemistry teachers - had been refused permission to work in the UK. | She added that no jobs on the shortage occupation list - which included maths, physicvs and chemistry teachers - had been refused permission to work in the UK. |
| A spokesman for the Department for Education added: “The quality of teachers in England’s schools is at an all-time high and there are now more teachers in the classroom than ever before … We continue offer bursaries worth up to £25,000 and prestigious scholarships. | A spokesman for the Department for Education added: “The quality of teachers in England’s schools is at an all-time high and there are now more teachers in the classroom than ever before … We continue offer bursaries worth up to £25,000 and prestigious scholarships. |
| “We are reducing unnecessary workload for teachers, we have protected the schools budget and we have given heads the freedom to pay good teachers more.” | “We are reducing unnecessary workload for teachers, we have protected the schools budget and we have given heads the freedom to pay good teachers more.” |