Maths teachers who don’t have A-level in maths
SCHOOLS are employing sixthform maths teachers who don’t even have an A-level in the subject themselves, according to a survey.
Amid a deepening recruitment crisis, half of the maths teachers in the study reported they are teaching alongside at least one non-specialist, with staff having to be drafted in from other departments.
A non-specialist is not specifically trained to teach maths – and in some cases does not have an A-level in the subject.
The survey by the Mathematical Association found schools are increasingly relying on non- specialists, supply staff and unqualified teachers.
The shortage is due to a range of factors, including more pupils studying for maths qualifications in response to a government drive to improve numeracy.
Britain’s strong economy means maths graduates can get lucrative jobs in other industries, with campaigners warning that poor pay is driving experienced teachers out of the profession.
A general shortage of teachers across the education system has been made worse by rising pupil numbers, partly due to a baby boom fuelled by migration.
The survey of 520 maths teachers found only 46 per cent had departments which were fully staffed for September when the autumn term starts, while 18 per cent said they still need two or more teachers. Some 29 per cent said there were unqualified staff in their department and 30 per cent of respondents said that they would ‘probably leave teaching in the next few years’.
David Miles, spokesman for the Mathematical Association, and assistant head teacher of Sir John Leman High School in Beccles, Suffolk, said the issue is widespread. He told the Times Educational Supplement: ‘We knew that there were pockets of great discontent. There are certain geographical areas where it is almost impossible to recruit. But when you read the comments they show this is a problem all across the country.
‘I am aware of people teaching Alevel who don’t have that level: an awful lot of maths teachers don’t have maths beyond GCSE.’
The shortage comes despite a government push to encourage more sixth-formers to take A-level maths and to get those who fail GCSE maths to retake it.
The news is the latest setback for the government’s attempts to attract more people into maths teaching, through tactics such as bursaries worth up to £25,000 a year for trainees.
Civil servants predicted 3,102 trainee maths teachers will be needed in 2016 – 29 per cent more than were recruited in 2015. But by the end of last month, only 2,010
‘This is a problem across the country’
were due to begin training as maths teachers in September.
As well as offering bursaries, in December 2014 the government announced it would invest £67 million over five years to train 2,500 maths and physics teachers, with further training for 15,000 existing teachers in these subjects.
It has also introduced a specialist route into teacher training, on a salary of between £ 32,000 and £40,000, for maths researchers who have completed their PhD.
A Department for Education spokesman said: ‘The number of teachers in our schools is at an alltime high – 15,000 more since 2010.’
He added: ‘We are actively supporting schools to encourage former experienced teachers to return to the classroom.’