23 C
New York
Saturday, October 12, 2024

How to encourage Gen Z to become teachers

A new report supports my belief that as the world of work changes, the teaching profession must adjust and adapt to keep pace

September 19, 2024 1:50 pm(Updated 1:53 pm)

A strong education system is not a “nice to have”. It is absolutely central to the Government’s mission to break down the barriers to opportunity and drive growth. Key to this is the recruitment and retention of inspirational teachers who not only educate our young people, but who also motivate them to achieve their hopes and dreams.

But following the challenges of recent years, the attractiveness of teaching as a profession has been eroded. Recruitment and retention issues prevail. Last year, only 50 per cent of the target for recruiting trainee teachers was reached. And these vacancies are being felt most acutely in schools serving some of the most deprived communities, negatively affecting the life chances of the young people these schools are striving to support.

In 1997, New Labour’s battle cry of “education, education, education” saw the Government take daring decisions resulting in much-needed change across our education system. The new Secretary of State for Education, Bridget Phillipson, is equally committed to bringing about substantial change.

When Teach First was established in 2002 it was driven by a need to think about things differently to solve systemic challenges. Twenty-two years later, that vision is required again.

It is in that spirit that today Teach First has published a roadmap for boosting recruitment numbers by attracting the next generation into the classroom. The report, Tomorrow’s Teachers: A roadmap for attracting Gen Z, supports my longstanding belief that as the world of work changes, the teaching profession must adjust and adapt to keep pace.

For this generation – who will make up a large proportion of future teaching talent – these adjustments must target a good work/life balance along with an attractive long-term salary offer, the opportunity to continue learning and career advancement opportunities.

Teach First’s research also found that while almost two thirds (61 per cent) of Gen Z would consider working as a teacher, many desire a less linear career, and would value professional experiences in a range of sectors.

In 2022, I produced a report, Learning and skills for economic recovery, social cohesion and a more equal Britain, for the now Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer. One of my key recommendations was the need for investment in short-term teaching sabbaticals as an effective way of linking teachers with opportunities of other work placements, research, or overseas exchange programmes, which has the additional advantage of retaining teachers in circumstances where the drop-out rate is both expensive and disruptive to schools.

I’m pleased to see this proposal echoed in Teach First’s report, which calls for a shake-up of the professional development offer in teaching by piloting a secondment programme for teachers in a different industry or profession. This would not only provide teachers with the career development they crave, but it would also mean they can return to the classroom with new skills, knowledge, and experiences to share with and inspire their pupils.

Teach First estimates the pilot would cost just £7.5m for an initial cohort of 450 high-quality placements for teachers. We know the fiscal situation is challenging, but this is a small investment that could pave the way for a more “open-door” model of teacher recruitment and retention.

While secondments aren’t the silver bullet to end the recruitment crisis, they are a step in the right direction. As graduates’ expectations of their career trajectories have changed, successive governments have tried and failed to end staffing shortages. Teaching needs to recognise young people’s changing view of the workplace and support their desire to explore different careers.

Having overseen the establishment of Teach First as Secretary of State for Education and Employment in the early 2000s, I saw firsthand the potential of fresh thinking. The scheme wasn’t without its sceptics – including within my own Department.

But I watched with pride as that first, brave cohort of graduates entered some of London’s most challenging schools. Twenty years on, many of those schools are led by those same Teach First trainee teachers. They are among our country’s best and deliver incredible outcomes for pupils in poverty. It’s clear the sceptics were wrong.

This Labour Government is committed to meeting today’s challenges with bold and creative solutions. Tinkering around the edges won’t work. We must look to the motivations and expectations of the new generation of potential teachers and adapt the workforce model to meet those needs.

I am greatly encouraged to see the new Government pledge to recruit 6,500 more teachers. But if the Education Secretary is to succeed in her bold ambitions, new approaches are required.

There is no time to lose. It’s time to modernise the profession. Let’s make it fit for the future.

Lord Blunkett served as Labour education secretary (1997-2001), home secretary (2001-04) and work and pensions secretary (2005)

Source link

Related Articles

LEAVE A REPLY

Please enter your comment!
Please enter your name here

Stay Connected

0FansLike
0FollowersFollow
0SubscribersSubscribe

Latest Articles