Ministers have accused Labour of  “doom-mongering” after the opposition suggested that schools were “haemorrhaging teachers” because of excessive workload.

Schools minister Nick Gibb faced questions in the House of Commons today, as MPs asked what was being done to improve teacher retention and recruitment levels.

But Mr Gibb gave short shrift to criticism from Labour’s shadow Treasury minister Rob Marris after he attacked the government over teacher workload.

Mr Marris told the Commons: “Retention in teaching is a far bigger problem than recruitment. We are haemorrhaging teachers. That is caused largely by the adverse workload teachers are under.

“Can you tell the House what specific steps your government is taking to lessen teacher workloads in England?”

Mr Gibb replied: “First of all, the doom-mongering notion that he is citing is wrong: 87 per cent of those who qualified in 2013 were still teaching a year later; 72 per cent of teachers who qualified in 2009 are still teaching five years later.

“You should stop talking down what is a very popular profession in this country.

“Indeed, we are also tackling the excessive workload that teachers inherited from the previous Labour government.”

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