Photo: Mormon Education
Recent figures, collected by Ofsted, have shown that more teachers are now leaving the UK than are being trained.
17,000 teachers were trained during the period of the study, whilst 18,000 left the country in the same time frame.
Last year, the government released an advert hoping to attract potential teachers into the profession, which can be seen here:
Despite the impression of teaching that the advert gives, it has been contended that the profession is no longer as appealing as it once was.
Adrian Joice, a National Executive Member for teachers’ union NASUWT, argued that “there has been constant change in requirements and the changing of standards, the changing of exam courses and expectations which made stability in the education system in England totally, totally useless.”
Some feel that the attractions of teaching abroad outweigh those of staying in England, such as Paul Kemp, who teaches English as a foreign language in Kazakhstan.
“When you travel I think you learn a lot more about the world than anyone can teach you in school, and with teaching abroad I think it’s exactly the same. It’s given me unforgettable experiences and memories. It’s more of that sort of thing than the monetary value.”
Many of the teachers who have left now work in English schools abroad, which are becoming increasingly prominent.
Colin Bell is the Chief Executive Officer for the Council of British International Schools.
“There are many factors that attract teachers to move to international schools, so a number of the schools across the world that offer the British curriculum are of international reputation and excellence. They offer fantastic professional development and also opportunities for teachers at any stage in their career to develop.”
For further information, you can listen to this report produced by Robin Barlow: