Teachers' pounds 5,000 `golden hello'
Your support helps us to tell the story
From reproductive rights to climate change to Big Tech, The Independent is on the ground when the story is developing. Whether it's investigating the financials of Elon Musk's pro-Trump PAC or producing our latest documentary, 'The A Word', which shines a light on the American women fighting for reproductive rights, we know how important it is to parse out the facts from the messaging.
At such a critical moment in US history, we need reporters on the ground. Your donation allows us to keep sending journalists to speak to both sides of the story.
The Independent is trusted by Americans across the entire political spectrum. And unlike many other quality news outlets, we choose not to lock Americans out of our reporting and analysis with paywalls. We believe quality journalism should be available to everyone, paid for by those who can afford it.
Your support makes all the difference.MATHS AND science teachers could be paid "golden hellos" of up to pounds 5,000 under plans to be announced tomorrow to combat acute staff shortages in schools.
The special payments for newly qualified teachers are expected to form part of a package of measures designed to reverse the decline in recruits coming into schools.
Head teachers complain that vacancies often remain unfilled and say many schools survive on supply teachers. Figures published last week showed a 6 per cent fall in the numbers of students starting teacher training degrees this year. Problems are most acute in maths and science subjects, which have seen sharp falls in recruitment in recent years.
David Blunkett, the Secretary of State for Education, will announce measures to increase the popularity of teaching ahead of a Green Paper, due to be published later this year, which will outline fundamental reform of teachers' pay and conditions.
Ministers are anxious to change the current system of national pay scales in favour of some form of performance-related pay.
A government source said yesterday that recruitment of primary school teachers was on target for this year, but admitted that attracting sufficient secondary school teachers remained a problem.
Doug McAvoy, general secretary of the National Union of Teachers, the largest teaching union, warned that differential pay rates would not solve the recruitment problem. "The real issue to address," he said, "is the poor pay and the poor working conditions in the whole teaching profession."
Join our commenting forum
Join thought-provoking conversations, follow other Independent readers and see their replies
Comments