Teacher shortage crisis in Wales as added pressures of role hit numbers

Workload in the profession, said Dr Angella Cooze, secondary programme director at Swansea University Schools' Partnership.

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Asked by committee member and former First Minister Vaughan Gething what impact the shortage would have on the Welsh Government's education reforms, Dr Cooze and other course directors were clear.

"The Welsh reform agenda is quite complex... the reform agenda is quite seriously threatened if the crisis in initial teacher education (ITE) is not addressed... it's essential to the agenda of the national landscape," said Dr Cooze.

Dave Stacey, director of initial teacher education at the University of Wales Trinity Saint David, agreed: "If we don't have enough teachers of high enough quality, we can't see through the education reforms.

"It is absolutely fundamental. This absolutely poses a risk to the very high aspirations of the national mission."

He said PGCE students who dropped out tended to do so after the "shock" of the first teaching practice sessions as part of their courses.

The committee heard that teacher shortages were greatest in some secondary subjects, in rural areas and in Welsh-medium education.

"Teacher recruitment and retention is at crisis in particular in some areas," said Dr Cooze, "There is a feeling among young people that the job is quite inflexible compared to other careers. Also, the job is sometimes seen rather negatively as very hard work and very long hours."