Why is there a shortage of teachers?
I don’t know if it’s the same in the UK as it is in the US, but here are some of the problems with teacher retention in the US. Many people go into teaching with an incorrect idea of what teaching is all about. They believe the people who think teachers only work a few hours a day, get paid during the summer for not working, and retire with great benefits. A tenth of all new teachers leave during the first year. Half of all teachers are gone after 5 years. You are faced with increasing demands in terms of student performance and paperwork. You are faced with students who believe that their learning is not their problem or important to them. You have parents and administrators who honestly believe that a student failing in your class is your fault even though you spend countless hours after school and before school to help students only to have those students not show up. You have parents who pull their students out for family trips and try to excuse excessive absenteeism and tardiness.
