The education sector faces ‘catastrophic loss’ as over 9000 female teachers in their 30s leave public education in a year.
Schools in England offer flexible working hours and ramp up maternity pay to stem the exodus of thousands of female teachers in their 30s from the teaching field.
Chancellor Rachel Reeves confirmed the government’s intention to fund the recruitment of 6,500 new teachers by imposing VAT on private schools in Wednesday’s budget.
Heads of schools and charities are expressing concerns over the alarming rate of female teachers between the ages of 30 and 39 leaving the education field the previous year. The government will not be able to address the teacher shortage until it is able to tackle the issue of female teachers leaving the field.
According to experts, female teachers in their 30s are compelled to leave the field due to excessive workload and guilt about having time for their children. Maternity pay for teachers lags behind other employers, which is also one of the core reasons for the shortage of female teachers.
The Education Alliance Academy Trust, in charge of 10 schools in East Riding Yorkshire and Hull, agreed to introduce what it believes would impact female teachers in their 30s.
The trust’s chief executive, Jonny Uttley, stated: “Nobody should have to choose between being seen as a good teacher or a good mum or dad. This dilemma has driven too many great teachers and leaders out of the profession and needs to stop.”
Nikki Cunningham, a former assistant headteacher, resigned at 36 because she felt “burnt out and guilty”. She stated: “You’re preaching to families about the importance of involvement with their kids, and you are so overworked that you can’t manage that for your own children.”
The Education Alliance trust approves 98% of all demands for flexible working and creates a policy requiring every parent to attend their children’s school’s play and sports plays. Most parents miss these two childhood milestones while catering to other children.
Uttley stated that hiring teachers would solve challenges if experienced teachers willingly recommend it to others.
The trust is also moving away from most sectors by boosting maternity pay. Uttley’s schools diverge from the system where teachers get a month of maternity leave with full pay, two weeks with 90% pay, and half pay for an extra 12 weeks. They offer the first 18 weeks on full pay for the first weeks and eight weeks on half pay for teachers and support staff. The schools made provision for teachers and support staff who suffer miscarriage by offering uncapped paid leave.
Other academy trusts like Dixons, Lambeth, Haringey, Camden, the London-based chains PolyMAT and the Charter Schools Education Trust have also offered enhanced maternity packages. However, the civil service and the supermarkets provide 6 months of paid maternity leave. Critics claim that the standard offer pulls most female teachers from teaching.
The founder of the Maternity Teacher Paternity Teacher Project, Emma Sheppard current study revealed that most teachers leaving the field are overworked mothers in their 30s. The report stated that the government’s focus on hiring new teachers without tackling the poor maternity pay and retention would be “shortsighted.”
She stated: “A stable base of experienced teachers means a stable school. The government is focusing on bringing in new teachers but that base is crumbling.”
Jen Crittenden, a former headteacher, tried to prove that she could still run her primary after having her baby. However, she stepped down in 2022 because she was “just broken”.
She worked 90-80 hours a week during the Covid due to social service issues, which sometimes kept her late. She stated: “I basically wasn’t seeing my daughter at all.” “She was starting school, but I didn’t have time for her.”
Adding that: “Not one of the cohorts I trained with is still in teaching. The system is broken.”
A spokesperson for the Department of Education stated: “Recruiting and keeping great teachers in our classrooms is vital to improving life chances for all children. We are committed to resetting the relationship with the education workforce and working alongside them to re-establish teaching as an attractive, expert profession.”
