SHOCK, horror, even the Government, has admitted there is a crisis in teacher supply. This crisis has been evident for at least 12 months.
Having recently retired after 30 years as a teacher and head, I know that graduates do not want to be teachers - why?
We are now in a situation in state education where you pay peanuts and even the monkeys are not interested. I meet potential teacher graduates on a regular basis. They consider the pay is appalling for the workload.
The Government’s Green Paper does not address the issue of basic pay for teachers in any realistic way - the 1999 pay award will be an interesting pointer to Labour’s commitment to improving the teacher supply.
Society has ceased to value the dedication of most teachers in our schools.
Perhaps it will take a catastrophe like part-time schooling for pupils - a real possibility in some LEAs - for David Blunkett and his colleagues to admit failure on this issue.
Tony Callaghan 66 Waveney Road Harpenden, Herts
