An Evaluation of the Teaching Staff Shortage in London Schools Essay

An Evaluation of the Teaching Staff Shortage in London Schools - Essay Example eased concern in England as well as in other countries with regards to teacher supply shortages along with the issues on the recruitment and retention of teachers (House of Commons- Education and Skills Committee 2004). For instance, despite a considerable number of 60 million teachers worldwide, there is still a need to employ another 15 to 35 million teachers. Schools have faced considerable shortages in English and Math teachers while there have been a decrease in the number of applicants for teacher training. Teacher applicants for physics, geography, and information and communications technology have also experienced a considerable drop (Eurydice 2002). A large number of studies have primarily delved into the reasons why potential teachers have been attracted to the profession as well as the factors that contribute to their intentions of leaving the profession, including pay and work demands, and turnover patterns (Johnson-Wilder et al 2003). Recent evidence has also associated staffing problems with specific issues that serve as challenges for schools affected, such as the inability of schools to cope with labor market difficulties in order to for them to offer higher wages and attract qualified candidates, the lack of proficient teachers in certain subjects, and the increased number of teachers who are teaching outside of their subjects (Harris and Adams 2007). It has been suggested that institutions for teacher training have not been able to produce adequate numbers of qualified teachers who can met such demands. Other demographic trends, including the increase of student enrollments along with the increased rate of teacher turnover owing to an aging teaching workforce, have also contributed to the school staffing crisis. Owing to the continued shortfall of... This paper approves that private and public schools in London have experienced considerable shortages in their teaching workforce which have been attributed to various concerns. Teachers can either be motivated or discouraged to provide education and learning to students based on a number of factors, including their perceived support from the administration, the overall environment that they are working in, the salary they receive in exchange for their performance, the behavior of students, as well as personal issues. These can all influence the ways with which teachers view their profession as meaningful and valuable and, thus, affect their intentions and decisions for voluntary turnover. This report makes a conclusion that increasing the school’s support and attention towards their staff members should also be demonstrated along with the implementation of strategies that can enhance facilities and teaching performance. Values should also be taught to students by both the school and their families to ensure that these young individuals exemplify favorable behavior towards their peers and teachers. School safety and discipline along with a more professional environment that employs strategies for empowering teachers and boosting their morale may have a positive impact on their recruitment and retention among public and private schools. Future studies should also look into more specific factors that can be experienced by teachers in the primary, secondary, and college level as well, such as racial discrimination or academic field preferences; differences in terms of geographic locations (suburban versus metropolitan schools) or the impact of teachers’ age and gender can also be explored.