Daubney Primary School: Feeling the Effects of Teacher Shortages in the UK

According to the London School of Economics report, England can expect to face a teacher shortage in the next ten years. According to this study, half of teachers currently teaching in English schools will retire within ten years (MacLeod). However, with a vacancy rate of 1% leaving over two thousand teaching positions unfilled around England, one sees that the teacher shortage crisis has already arrived (Tarleton).

This study comes after another done by the United Nations which shows that 22% of British adult citizens are "functionally illiterate" ("Does class size matter?" 48). While studying abroad in London, my internship at Daubney Primary School allowed me to have a first hand encounter with the problems schools face when teachers are in short supply. Throughout this paper I will attempt to outline the problems, causes, and solutions associated with the teacher shortage in England, and specifically London, while providing a first hand account the effects of this crisis.

Daubney Primary School educates children ages four to eleven in the Hackney neighborhood of northeast London. This neighborhood is known for being a poverty stricken, violent area. Moreover, one article states that ministers of education have given serious consideration to privatizing schools in this area of London ("Does class size matter?" 48). Two of the obstacles facing the children in this school are poverty and racial diversity.

The first issue to address are the problems associated with this growing epidemic. And the first obstacle encountered by teachers is coping with the excess workload created by the teacher shortage. When schools are short staffed and over budget, the only option they have is to add work such as administrative tasks to a regular teaching workload.

In fact, some head teachers have been forced to teach classes in addition to their regular administrative duties. One head, Sue Sayles, teacher was quoted in an interview with the BBC as saying, "Last autumn I was doing five days a week teaching a class of 23 children, aged seven to nine. It meant I was working evenings and weekends, missing lunch just to keep up with it." She goes on to say that this is why, after twenty-one years in the English school system, she is leaving, eight years shy of a full retirement pension (Parkinson).

Nonetheless, these are the duties that head teachers must take on if they are to meet the British government's new workload agreement. This agreement was designed to take the pressures of doing simple tasks such as photocopying and registration off of teachers so that they might focus on teaching. However, who will do these tasks? Most likely the head teachers, points out writer for the BBC, Justin Parkinson, in his April 2004 article entitled "Why one head teacher has had enough" (Parkinson).

It is situations like these which caused 1,500 head teacher vacancies to be advertised in the UK last year. In January 2004 alone, 110 head teacher positions were advertised. Of those 110, 31% were re-advertised nation-wide. However the percentage re-advertised in London alone soared to 42% (Parkinson).

At Daubney Primary School I viewed this hardship first hand. Recently, the school became so overwhelmed by the incoming infants that the principle of the Infants' hall had to take over teaching. She taught this class of infants in addition to her regular responsibilities as a supervisor, administrator, and disciplinarian.

Another problem caused by the teacher shortage is that of increased class size. The National Education Association performed a survey in which teachers sighted lowering class size as the most important factor in raising teacher's career fulfillment and enthusiasm (http://www.heros-inc.org/classsizeresearch.htm). In addition, several studies have shown that reducing class size has many positive benefits, especially in lower income and racially diverse areas.

Class size is one of the five issues the current controlling political party set out to tackle in the last election for Prime Minister. The Labour Party had five goals for this term in office. Of those five was one initiative which would cut class sizes for five through seven year olds to no more than thirty by September 2001. However, as of now this goal has not been accomplished ("Does class size matter?" 48). Actually, 66% of children in primary schools on the outskirts of London, where Daubney Primary School is located, are in classes of thirty or more (Milne 19). As one teacher states, "That means four tables of eight children, and a harassed teacher...You just can't give them the attention they need." ("The parable of the 31^st child").

However, the British government strives towards this goal because they realize that the benefits of reducing class size are great. For instance, one study from Tennessee looked at 79 school districts where class size was reduced from 22 to 26 students to a size of 13 to 17. This study concluded that there was a correlation between class size and higher test scores. In fact, under these conditions, minority students scored twice as much on tests (Hallgarten and Kelly). Another study done in 1986 on class size showed that reducing class size proved especially effective for students from disadvantaged or minority backgrounds. Still another study done in 1997 demonstrated a correlation between lower class size and achievement in mathematics among students from lower socioeconomic classes (Pritchard).

At Daubney Primary School I got into a discussion of class size with two teachers. I told them that my class size was never over twenty five and in the U.S. equivalent of primary school, never over twenty. They were shocked. They told me that the average class size at Daubney was about twenty nine students. Then these two teachers went on to explain that though it would be easier to deal with less children they are stuck with large classes due to budget constraints.

One head teacher interviewed by the New Statesman journal pointed out that if he were to loose twelve students because they were in classes of thirty or more, he would loose substantial funding. He estimates the loss of these twelve students would cost the schools budget approximately 16,200 pounds. This is only 2,800 pounds short of the average teacher in this school's salary, 19,000 pounds. Loosing this funding means loosing a teacher, and pushing up class size even higher (Milne 19). Therefore, the problem can only be solved by increasing budgets and finding teachers. But according to the National Association of Head Teachers, one in ten schools received less funding in 2004 than the year before. In addition, a third of schools in the United Kingdom stated that they had not received the extra 4% raise in funding they were promised in 2004 (Parkinson).

This leads to another main problem facing schools. There just are not enough qualified teachers to fill positions. According to the organization Parents Online, some schools in London are not only hiring unqualified teachers, but they are assigning them management positions in addition to regular classroom duties (http://www.parents.org.uk/index.

html?news_teachshortage.htm&2). Contradictory to this fact is that the School Standards Minister, David Miliband, is quoted as saying, "Good teachers are at the heart of government's programme for school reform and are uniquely placed to make a difference to the lives of young people." ("Trainee teachers on the increase").

This growing number of unqualified teachers stems from the way that teachers are acquiring training in teaching. Fewer teachers are taking the traditional collegiate route in favor of a fast-track training course called the Graduate Teacher Programme ("Type of trainee teachers changing"). John Howson, an professor and analyst visiting Oxford Brookes University says, "It's going to be particularly upsetting for those on four-year Bachelor of Education courses who were enticed in when there was a shortage, have racked up debt, and are now going to struggle to find jobs." ("More teachers but in wrong areas").

According to the Teacher Training Agency, 34,400 future teachers began training in 2004. Another 6,900 are expected to learn on the job in 2005. This marks the sixth annual increase in the number of teachers training ("Trainee teachers on the increase"). However, One study done in Texas showed that there was a strong correlation between student test scores and a teacher's level of literacy and experience (Pritchard). Nancy Pietraszkiewicz, Professor of Education for Central Michigan University, says, "I don't think you can ensure quality with these kinds of programs...You get a warm body in the room and probably not much more." ("Teacher shortage feared").

While quick certification courses are greasing the wheels for under qualified trainees, the government inhibiting certain teachers from transferring from the independent sector of education to the public. When Tristram Jones-Parry of Westminster School retired from his position as head teacher, he heard about the looming teacher shortage and decided to start teaching again in the public sector. Despite his thirty years of experience, Mr. Jones-Parry was blocked from entering the public school system because he had not had formal teacher certification. Mr. Jones-Parry told BBC Radio 4, "It does seem odd that I've taught maths for 30 years...but I would not be allowed to teach in a state school..." Eventually Mr. Jones-Parry was only subjected to a classroom observation and handing in a portfolio outlining his accomplishments in the area of teaching ("Private head's 'fast-track' option").

During my time assisting teachers at Daubney Primary School I noticed many symptoms of teacher under qualification. For instance, many teachers pushed and/or grabbed their students. They also screamed at children and jumped to conclusions before trying to discipline the child in a constructive manor. This was due to the incredible tempers these teachers had. It is my belief that if they had went through a collegiate certification, these teachers would have gained an understanding of why children misbehave and the underlying circumstances that may have caused them to misbehave.

One cause of this growing crisis is the fact that teaching is a low paying job in the United Kingdom, especially in areas like London where the cost of housing far outweighs the benefits of increased city pay. According to the London School of Economics, teachers' salary has dropped 6% since 1992, considering inflation and cost of living (MacLeod). In London, teachers can earn as little as 21,522 pounds up to as much as 39,093 pounds (http://www.hackneynut.co.uk/). This may sound like a good salary however London is the second most expensive city in the world to live in (http://money.cnn.com/2004/06/11/pf/costofliving/). In fact, according to an article in The Economist, the cost of housing is rose 30% in 2000. That is why 40% of teachers say they are leaving the city, and consequently their teaching positions, in the next year ("Education - Teacher troubles").

In addition to this drop in salary, teachers must now deal with the threat of the government introducing performance-related pay based on children's test results ("Does class size matter?" 48). However, two economists from the London School of Economics stress that, "...pupil achievement is multi-dimensional and depends on the efforts of a group of teachers..." (MacLeod). Using this technique to measure teachers' worth has led to low morale among teaching staff; another cause of the teacher shortage. In fact, 56% of current teachers state that there morale is lower than when they entered teaching (Woodward). As one study shows, there is a correlation between good teaching conditions, higher esteem for education, and a higher quality education. The Assistant Director-General of Education for UNESCO, John Daniel says, "...a common factor seems to be the diminishing status of teachers and a concomitant decline in working conditions..." ("More Children, Fewer Teachers").

Several times during my internship at Daubney Primary School I heard teachers discussing salary. One head teacher said that she was 54 but decided to retire at the end of this year because she just did not have it in her to wait for her full pension. I assumed this meant her morale was low due to student behavior and the little amount of respect teachers receive for doing such a tough job because I had viewed her encounters with children and parents for weeks. In addition, I heard many teachers often complain about how they felt unmotivated to come in every morning.

Still another cause of this looming predicament is the fact that the number of children entering the education system worldwide is rising far past the number of qualified teachers ("More Children, Fewer Teachers"). The crisis is getting so bad that students in some schools around London are missing science lessons every week because there are not enough teachers to fill those positions. In addition, these schools have had to cut lesson time from 25 hours a week to 24 hours ("Teacher shortage cuts timetable").

Now that the problems and causes of the teacher shortage have been addressed, the solutions become quite clear. One solution outlined by the government of the United Kingdom is the Assisted Places Scheme. This program takes 38,000 children from lower class families and supplies them with government money to attend private schools. This program cost the government 146 million pounds a year and although it helps the individual, it harms the majority because these monies were originally intended for cutting class sizes in underprivileged school in London ("The parable of the 31^st child"). However this program would alleviate some of the burden placed on public schools by placing students from undesirable teaching areas thus lessening class size on teachers in these areas.

In order to recruit new teachers some sources suggest rethinking the requirements for certification so that it will be easier for trainees to get to work fast ("Teacher shortage feared"). One suggestion on how to increase the number of math, language, and science teachers available for employment is to add a six month "enhancement" course to regular teaching certification. Currently, these six month programs are offered for math and physics. Soon a course in chemistry and German will be added. Currently, only a three month certification is required to teach French to students under the age of fourteen ("New idea to recruit more teachers").

This seems like a smart idea considering 1,691 new math, science, and English teachers came through the fast track certification last year, still falling short of the public school system's need. In addition, this program would be beneficial because teachers recruited to instruct in these areas are so rare that lower degree requirements are often accepted ("Type of trainee teachers changing"). This quick certification program combined with pay increases of 5,000 pounds for teachers with what the government calls "Golden hellos" ("Education - Teacher troubles").

A final suggestion on the recruitment of new, qualified teachers is a practice called "teacher poaching". According to the BBC, 5,564 teachers from out of the country were given work permits to work in England in 2003. The same study points out that the greatest number of teachers coming into England from abroad was from South Africa with 1,492 teachers being "poached". I observed that almost half of the teachers employed by Daubney Primary School were from South Africa. Though this solution may seem like a good idea, it has put significant strain on other areas of the world such as Africa which now needs five million more teachers in order to attain the goals set by the United Nations for universal primary education by the year 2015 (Tougher 'teacher pouching rules").

Other solutions to the growing teacher crisis have been addressed by organizations such as the International Labour Office. They suggest that the first step schools take is to open the lines of communication between themselves, teachers, and unions in order to discuss recruitment and retention. In addition the International Labour Office in conjunction with UNESCO suggests adopting the Recommendation Concerning the Status of Teachers. This declaration acknowledges the fact that teachers are at the center of education and working situations and salaries should reflect that fact. ("More Children, Fewer Teachers").

Though many organizations and educators have suggested ways to ease the teacher shortage and its effects, no one solution will solve this crisis immediately. The United Kingdom, and specifically London, needs time to re-evaluate several issue deeply ingrained in their society such as respect for the teaching profession and student disobedience. However, there is hope in sight as 15,651 teachers enter British primary schools next year ("More teachers but in wrong areas"). Hopefully, some of these teachers will be sent to Daubney Primary School to relieve the current pressure both teachers and students face due to the current teacher shortage.
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