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, a shortfall which he described 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 particular recruitment problems for a number of subjects, including maths, which has only half its target number of student teachers and information technology, which 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.

David Hart considers paying teachers by results: "I want good pay for good teachers."

As a substantial, across the board pay rise for teachers seemed "highly unlikely", Mr Hart said that pay rises linked to an annual performance appraisal might offer a way of making teaching more attractive to potential recruits, targeting extra pay rises at teachers who prove themselves to be 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."
 

Back to top | BBC News Home | BBC Homepage	©