Teachers are being let down but unions must communicate better with public

While a compromise needs to be struck when it comes to pay negotiations between teaching unions and the Government, there needs to be a wider review of the working conditions faced by teachers.

Part of this will be retention. Teachers are increasingly asking themselves why they should stay in a profession where they no longer feel valued.

The current recruitment and retention crisis is only going to have a negative impact on the education of school children with class sizes becoming bloated and teachers being expected to take up the slack. Many schools are having to rely on the goodwill of volunteers to keep them going.

But as the NASUWT teaching union prepares to meet in Harrogate for its annual conference over Easter, union bosses need to reexamine their messaging. Hyperbole and hysteria often deployed by unions can become white noise and alienate swathes of the public.

This newspaper understands and appreciates the scale of the challenges faced by teachers. It also understands the importance of the job they do in equipping future generations with the skills that they need to lead fulfilling lives.

However, many ordinary people who don’t have contact with the education system don’t sympathise with the plight of teachers. This can’t be changed through hysteria. People need to be shown in a measured and calm manner the issues that are currently afflicting the teaching profession.