Chapter 2: The Nature of a(n ongoing) Crisis

This chapter focuses on ongoing problems with the recruitment of new teachers, and the retention of qualified teachers in England. The overall picture for teacher supply is a ‘gloomy one’ (EPI & Zuccollo, 2023, para. 8). An increasing number of teachers are leaving the profession before they retire (9% of the workforce in 2021/22, Adams, 2023), and it is becoming harder to recruit teachers (especially in the secondary phase). We will consider the nature of this crisis and explore some of the potential reasons for recruitment issues, as well as strategies that have been deployed to mitigate against the ongoing decline, which have continued to intensify against the backdrop of the pandemic and now a cost-of-living crisis.