The Department for Education has announced that the new Education Secretary has already begun work to improve the relationship between the government and the teaching profession.
After being confirmed as Prime Minister Keir Starmer’s Education Secretary on Friday afternoon, Bridget Phillipson has begun work to recruit a further 6,500 new teachers. This will not only improve the relationship between the profession and the government, but also ‘transform the image of teaching’ – a key part of bringing in new teachers and retaining those that are already in the role.
As part of this work, the Secretary is writing to all education workforces to outline the role that they will play in this part of the government’s work. This will go alongside a reception that will be held with key stakeholders within education, and crucial meetings with teaching unions.
The Education Secretary said:
“From day one, we are delivering the change this country demands and putting education back at the forefront of national life. We will work urgently to recruit thousands of brilliant new teachers and reset the relationship between government and the education workforce.
“For too long the teaching profession has been talked down, side-lined and denigrated. I have made it my first priority to write today to the people at the centre of making change happen: our workforce.
“I want all children to have the best life chances which means recruiting and keeping great teachers in our classrooms – today is the first step in that mission.”
Also supporting the drive to recruit more teachers, the department will resume its Every Lesson Shapes a Life campaign, which offers support and advice from Teacher Training Advisers on how they can get into a teaching role. The overall campaign demonstrates how fulfilling and exciting being a teacher can be as recruits make a difference to children and young people’s lives.
The government is focusing on teacher recruitment as it supports the improvement of life chances for all children.
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