Commenting on the Labour Party’s pledge to recruit 6,500 teachers, Daniel Kebede, General Secretary of the National Education Union, said:
"An incoming Government will inherit an urgent and escalating teacher recruitment and retention crisis. This matters for every child and family.
"Over the past 14 years a combination of national decisions has resulted in insufficient graduates choosing teaching as a profession and teachers leaving in droves.
"6,500 additional teachers would be a welcome commitment, are desperately needed and would contribute to better life chances. This would need to be hand in hand with restoring the value of teachers’ pay and attractive pay levels across the stages in a teaching career and a different approach on education policy.
"There isn’t a simple fix to correct the scale of neglect the education system has endured under this Government. However, investing in a high quality and experienced teaching profession, where expertise is retained, is excellent value for money and links directly to good outcomes and success for students.
"The NEU is calling for an independent commission, in the spirit of the Houghton committee of 1974. Only something that transformational will address the many problems and reverse the downward spiral our education system is enduring.
“The NEU has made it clear that we will challenge any schools in the independent sector using Labour’s policy to try and take teachers out of the Teachers’ Pension Scheme. Pensions are deferred earnings, and we will robustly defend our members terms and conditions.”