Education Secretary Bridget Phillipson has initiated a significant campaign to recruit 6,500 new teachers, marking the first step in the government’s strategy to overhaul its relationship with the teaching profession.
As part of this ambitious initiative, Phillipson aims to rejuvenate the image of teaching and foster a supportive environment for both new recruits and existing educators.
In her initial actions, she has penned a letter to all educational staff, emphasising their crucial role in driving the government’s educational reforms.
“From day one, we are delivering the change this country demands and putting education back at the forefront of national life,” Phillipson stated. “We will work urgently to recruit thousands of brilliant new teachers and reset the relationship between government and the education workforce.”
Phillipson highlighted the challenges the profession has faced, noting, “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 workforces.”
“Every Lesson Shapes a Life”
To bolster these efforts, the Department for Education is relaunching its prominent teacher recruitment campaign, “Every Lesson Shapes a Life,” alongside the further education recruitment campaign, “Share Your Skills.” These campaigns aim to highlight the rewarding nature of a teaching career and direct potential candidates to the Get into Teaching website, which offers support and guidance from Teacher Training Advisers and a range of events.
Phillipson is also set to host a reception with key education stakeholders later this week and plans to engage with teaching unions in the coming days. These discussions are intended to strengthen the partnership between the government and the education sector.
The overarching goal of these initiatives is to reestablish teaching as a respected and desirable profession, ensuring that children receive high-quality education from motivated and well-supported teachers. By improving recruitment and retention, the government aims to enhance the educational outcomes and life chances of all children, from primary school through to their future careers.
This renewed focus on education underscores the government’s commitment to addressing the critical needs of the sector and ensuring a bright future for the nation’s students.
Amelia Brand is the Editor for HRreview, and host of the HR in Review podcast series. With a Master’s degree in Legal and Political Theory, her particular interests within HR include employment law, DE&I, and wellbeing within the workplace. Prior to working with HRreview, Amelia was Sub-Editor of a magazine, and Editor of the Environmental Justice Project at University College London, writing and overseeing articles into UCL’s weekly newsletter. Her previous academic work has focused on philosophy, politics and law, with a special focus on how artificial intelligence will feature in the future.
