As millions of children head back to school next week, many face the prospect of being taught by supply teachers or unqualified instructors and the possibility of being in larger classes because of worsening teacher shortages.
Pupils from disadvantaged backgrounds and in southern England are particularly vulnerable to receiving lower quality education, with subjects like maths and science “severely affected”, experts have told i. Secondary schools have been hardest hit by the problems.
Their recruitment challenges have prompted fears that lessons in some subjects such as physics and computing could be cut in some schools because of the crisis.
Large numbers of teachers are giving lessons in subjects they are not qualified in according to Department for Education figures. Nearly half (49 per cent) of those teaching Spanish lessons do not have an A level qualification in the subject, the latest available statistics show.
In computing the figure is 60 per cent, and 42 per cent of those taking physics lessons are unqualified in the subject, according to the data for 2022/23.
Pepe Di’Iasio, general secretary of the Association of School and College Leaders union, told i teacher shortages were “very challenging” and often forced schools to hire staff who are “not specialists in the subject they are teaching” and supply teachers to cover vacancies.
He said: “In schools and colleges facing the biggest recruitment challenges, often in the most disadvantaged areas, this can lead to a churn of teaching staff which is extremely difficult to manage.
“Pupils obviously benefit most from having the consistency of a teacher who they know and who knows them and is able to lead them from start to finish through the relevant curriculum.
“Subjects such as maths, sciences, and foreign languages are severely affected, but teacher shortages extend across most subjects.”
He said leaders and teachers are “very worried about the potential impact on educational standards”.
John Howson, a teaching recruitment expert and professor at Oxford Brookes University, said that hardest hit schools may not even offer some subjects because qualified staff were not available.
He told i: “Clearly the biggest anxiety is whether or not schools will be able to offer subjects like physics across the board to any child in a school, particularly in sixth form who wants to study physics at A-level.”
He said the impact of staffing shortages on the quality of education could affect whether students, particularly those at state schools in disadvantaged areas, were able to get into the universities of their choice.
Mr Di’Iasio urged the Government to improve teacher pay and conditions, saying Labour’s plans to recruit 6,500 new teachers was a “good start” but not enough to fully address the issue.
He said “there is potential for teacher shortages to get worse” as schools struggle to compete with other employers who offer flexible working opportunities.
Simon Kidwell, president of the National Association of Head Teachers union, told i: “Fewer graduates are coming into the profession.
“We’re seeing a more significant drop at secondary but we are starting to see that at primary school levels as well.”
He warned that children could end up in larger classes in affected areas, which include those where rents are higher because these bills eat into teachers’ wages.
He said schools find it hard to recruit experts in subjects like physics and math because “they can be paid far more as graduates in other careers”.
He urged the Government to improve the workload for teachers, which often means they work 50 hours a week.
Mr Kidwell added that the Labour Government’s plans to expand four-day work weeks in other sectors could make recruitment and retention even worse.
Prof Howson said UK schools faced increasing competition from those abroad offering higher wages.
He said schools in London and the South East, where there are other job opportunities for would-be teachers, face “significant shortages”, particularly where state schools are unable to offer higher pay.
Rural areas can also struggle to attract staff, he said.
Prof Howson said plans to introduce VAT on private school fees could lead to redundancies at private schools and push more teachers back into the state sector, levelling the playing field for students in disadvantaged areas.
But he said the shortages could be worse if private schools end up accepting more international students instead.
Responding the claims, children’s education could be impacted by teacher shortages, a Department for Education spokesperson said: “Recruiting and retaining great teachers in our classroom is vital to improving life chances for all children, and we are committed to working with the education sector to re-establish teaching as an attractive, expert profession.
“We are offering tax-free bursaries and scholarships worth up to £30,000 in key subjects such as maths and physics and work has already begun to recruit 6,500 new teachers with the expansion of our flagship recruitment campaign, alongside the recent 5.5% pay award for teachers.”