Teachers and School Support Staff Morale 2024-03-11
2024-03-11
TAGS
Response quality
Questions & Answers
Q1
Partial Answer
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Context
Morale among teachers and school support staff is reportedly declining, impacting the education sector negatively.
Whether she is taking steps to help improve the morale of teachers and school support staff. Is the truth not that retention is down, recruitment is down and early retirements are up? What is the Minister going to do to boost the morale of teachers?
Supporting teacher wellbeing is crucial to our commitment to a supportive culture in schools, and for encouraging teacher retention. That is why we co-created the education staff wellbeing charter with the education sector, and we have invested over £1 million in school leader mental health and wellbeing support. On recruitment and retention, I join him in stressing the importance of retention, which we are absolutely focused on, including through our workload programme.
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Assessment & feedback
Specific actions to boost morale were not detailed beyond general commitments
We Are Committed
Response accuracy
Q2
Partial Answer
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Context
Good teachers are vital for school success, but there is a need to assist schools with issues such as discipline and truancy.
Would my right hon. Friend agree that good and enthusiastic teachers are vital to ensuring that we have good, successful schools and pupils? What more can be done to assist schools with discipline and truancy issues, because it would obviously help teachers' morale if they could have some more support?
My right hon. Friend is absolutely right about the importance of brilliant teachers—I think he might have some personal experience of that. He is also right about the central importance of behaviour. In relation to retention, we hear back in surveys that we need to improve further on this. This is one of the reasons that we have the network of behaviour hubs, so that schools can learn one from another about what works best.
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Assessment & feedback
Specific measures for discipline and truancy were not detailed beyond general commitments
We Are Committed
Response accuracy
Q3
Partial Answer
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Context
Teachers' pay and working conditions are affecting their morale, further threatened by minimum service levels that would limit strike actions.
Morale among teachers and support staff is affected by their pay and working conditions, and now the teachers are being threatened with minimum service levels, which would limit their fundamental right to strike. Surely the Minister can recognise that this course of action will lower morale further and ultimately impact the recruitment and retention of teaching staff.
Nobody is talking about taking away the right to strike. All that we are seeking to do is balance that right, which we absolutely recognise and protect, with the right of a child to have an education.
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Assessment & feedback
Did not acknowledge potential impact on morale from minimum service levels
Changed Subject
Response accuracy
Q4
Partial Answer
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Context
There are concerns about declining teacher retention and recruitment rates.
Is the truth not that retention is down, recruitment is down and early retirements are up? What is the Minister going to do to boost the morale of teachers?
I think the hon. Gentleman needs to do some research before he starts asking questions in Parliament. On recruitment and retention, I join him in stressing the importance of retention, which we are absolutely focused on, including through our workload programme. We have a good set of scholarships and bursaries for encouraging entry and a range of different routes into teaching to get the full range of talent that can benefit our children and young people.
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Assessment & feedback
Did not provide specific actions beyond general commitments
Under Review
Response accuracy