Head Teacher Warns Recruitment Issues Threaten Joy of Teaching Amid Stress

Head teacher Steffan Griffiths warns recruitment and retention challenges, workload pressures, and budget constraints threaten teaching quality in Wales. Political parties propose various strategies ahead of May's Senedd election to address these issues.

Concerns Over Future School Staffing Due to Recruitment Challenges

Steffan Griffiths, head teacher at Ysgol Nantgaredig in Carmarthen, has expressed serious concerns about the future staffing of schools amid ongoing difficulties in recruiting teachers. He described the challenges in attracting educators for certain secondary school subjects as "quite frightening" and acknowledged that primary schools are also facing similar issues.

"We're hearing about teachers starting their careers and then finishing within a year or two. I think with recruitment we have to emphasise the importance of a work-life balance,"

Griffiths stated.

The Welsh government has indicated that there is no single solution to the recruitment challenges but is actively addressing workload concerns and improving pathways into teaching.

Griffiths emphasized that recruiting and retaining staff should be a top priority in the upcoming Senedd election in May. He noted that many of his colleagues, including himself, are in their fifties and nearing retirement, which adds to the urgency of the issue.

"Teachers are coming into the profession and then within a year or two they're saying 'no thank you very much, I'm going to leave and do something else',"

he explained.

Recruitment and Retention Statistics and Challenges

The Education Workforce Council has highlighted that recruiting and retaining teachers is a global issue, with retention levels currently "relatively stable." However, recruitment to secondary teacher training courses in Wales has been below target since 2016-17 and was 56% under target in 2023-24.

At the primary school level, the inspectorate Estyn described the situation as "buoyant" overall, although filling Welsh medium places remains a concern.

Ysgol Nantgaredig collaborates with a local university to train student teachers, aiming to encourage new entrants into the profession.

Griffiths addressed misconceptions about teaching careers, saying:

"I think some people are overly concerned that once you start teaching, that's the end - you can't do anything else. It's not true. It's a joy to be with the children. We are in our posts because of the children and hopefully we can give a flavour of the experience to these young people to work with children."

He expressed a desire for politicians competing in the Senedd election to demonstrate how they would attract students to teaching careers.

"It's not about pay, but addressing the pressures. It's to do with the rewards you get from being a teacher and working in schools."

Impact of Budget Constraints on Staff Workload and Stress

Teacher and additional learning needs co-ordinator, Rhydian Evans, highlighted the impact of tight budgets on staff workload and stress levels.

"I have 31 children in my class, 31 children in another class and years five and six... there's 34 children. The reason behind that is to do with budgeting - not having enough money to employ another member of staff - which means more pressure on teachers,"

he explained.

Evans further described the increasing demands placed on teachers, including more marking, parent communications, report writing, and accommodating additional needs.

"There's not only more marking, but more parents to deal with, more reports to write and potentially more additional needs to accommodate."

He noted that student teachers often gain a swift understanding of the role's demands.

"The holidays may be appealing,"

Evans said,

"but they do find out quite quickly what that role entails."

He added that funding shortages increase individual responsibilities, leaving teachers stretched.

"By the end of the week, we are on our knees."

A man in a classroom with short brown hair wearing a light blue shirt and navy tie — Teacher Rhydian Evans says holidays might be appealing but day-to-day teaching "does take its toll"

Specialist Additional Learning Needs Unit at Ysgol Nantgaredig

Ysgol Nantgaredig hosts the only Welsh-medium specialist additional learning needs unit in the county, which is currently at full capacity, highlighting the demand for such services.

Children in red school uniform holding a multi-coloured parachute canopy with staff members — Ysgol Nantgaredig has the only Welsh-medium specialist additional learning needs unit in the county - but it is full

Wider Challenges in Welsh Education System

A recent report from the Institute for Fiscal Studies think tank identified underperformance in the Welsh education system. The report cited challenges including high absence rates and poor results in international assessments.

One of the report's authors, Luke Sibieta, described the state of education over the past two decades as "disappointing." He acknowledged recruitment difficulties, particularly in secondary schools, disadvantaged areas, and in subjects such as maths and science.

"The next Welsh government could offer more targeted incentives to recruit teachers in those areas,"

Sibieta said.

He also suggested that improving teaching conditions and reducing workloads could enhance teacher satisfaction, aiding recruitment and retention.

Political Parties’ Responses and Proposals

A Welsh Labour spokesperson referenced the publication of an Education Workforce Plan, a comprehensive programme aimed at strengthening and supporting the education workforce.

"Teachers and support staff are the backbone of our education system."

The Welsh Conservatives proposed financial incentives or refunds for graduates training as teachers in Wales who commit to teaching in Welsh schools for at least five years. Party education spokeswoman Natasha Asghar stated:

"We have a plan which backs teachers. It restores discipline, reduces unnecessary bureaucracy and ensures staff have the support they need to do what they do best - teach."

Plaid Cymru’s education spokesman Cefin Campbell pledged new incentives to attract and retain teachers and to address issues of poor attendance and behaviour to improve working conditions.

"We would address the overlapping issues of poor attendance and behaviour to improve working conditions for teachers."

Reform UK’s Laura Anne Jones identified recruitment and retention, especially in core subjects, as major challenges. She proposed reducing bureaucracy, restoring school discipline, adopting a zero-tolerance approach to discipline, and banning mobile phones in schools.

"Recruitment and the retention of our teachers, especially in core subjects, is one of the biggest issues facing education in Wales. We would reduce bureaucracy so teachers can teach. We will empower teachers by restoring school discipline, taking a zero-tolerance approach to discipline and banning mobile phones in schools."

The Wales Green Party spokesperson committed to improving recruitment, retention, and working conditions for teachers, including increased pay for planning and preparation time, which has historically been undervalued.

The Welsh Liberal Democrats announced plans to introduce a national teacher workforce strategy to address recruitment and retention, alongside increasing school funding per pupil above inflation to better support staff.