Teacher shortage to worsen, say heads

Teachers will be in short supply if recruitment difficulties continue

The recruitment crisis in teaching is deepening, the National Association of Head Teachers has warned.

Delegates of the headteachers' union, gathering in Eastbourne for their annual conference, heard from general secretary David Hart that there were a third too few student teachers training for secondary schools.

He described this shortfall as a "time bomb" beneath the government's plans for higher standards in education.

"Good honours graduates are voting with their feet and seeking other jobs where salaries, benefits and overall conditions of employment are more attractive," Mr Hart said.

Headteachers are considering the benefits of performance-related pay for teachers

The general shortage of trainee secondary teachers includes recruitment problems for a number of subjects. Maths has only half its target number of student teachers while information technology is more than a third under-subscribed.

According to the NAHT's figures, the recruitment of student teachers for primary schools is more successful, with an intake higher than the government's target.

Mr Hart admitted a substantial, across-the-board pay rise for teachers seemed "highly unlikely".

But he said pay rises linked to an annual performance appraisal might offer a way of making teaching more attractive to potential recruits. Extra pay rises should also be targeted at teachers who prove themselves effective.

"We need a modern pay structure which will attract modern graduates, who won't be put off by a performance element in the system. I'm in favour of good pay for good teachers," added Mr Hart.