Bolton: Teacher vacancies up by fifth as NEU warn of strikes

Figures from jobs site TeachVac show that last year teaching vacancies rose by nearly 20 per cent last year compared to the year before, with a total of 421 positions unfilled.

Bolton-based NEU official Julia Simpkins says that based on her experience on the ground she is not surprised by these findings.

She said: “There are some schools in Bolton who are just always, always advertising for people and that’s because they don’t stick to people’s terms and conditions and so they don’t stay for very long.

“I know of one school where if you stay for over a year you end up part of the senior management team because barely anyone stays for longer than that.”

Bolton based NEU campaigner Julia Simpkins (Image: Newsquest)

Ms Simpkins explained that her union had been dealing with problems like this for well over a decade and that mounting workloads and falling pay levels had been issues for all that time.

She said: “It’s like teachers aren’t trusted as professionals anymore.”

Only last Autumn an indicative ballot was held across the country for strike action.

Ms Simpkins said: “I don’t have a crystal ball, I don’t know what the eventual result will be but I do know that in Bolton we passed the minimum level that the government requires to ballot for strike action.

“So that shows the strength of feeling.”

Bolton’s figures were replicated across England, where TeachVac shows teacher vacancies soared from 64,283 in 2021 to 107,104 last year.

Ms Simpkins says that though many of the teachers have been nervous about the prospect of strike action, a lack of action could prove more damaging still for both the profession itself and youngsters under their care.

said: “If we don’t do something soon, if we aren’t able to recruit enough people to make sure there’s a teacher behind every desk then that can’t be good for children either.”

She added: “Nobody becomes a teacher to become a millionaire, people go into teaching because they care about the children they work with.

“So like doctors, like nurses, like all the caring professional we would only be striking if we really felt there was no alternative.”

Some union members are prepared to take strike action over pay and conditions (Image: PA)

But the council has said various measures have been put in place both locally and nationally to give teachers the support they need.

Cabinet member for children’s services, Cllr Anne Galloway, said: “Teaching is a vitally important and prestigious profession. 

“Like so many other sectors nationally it is facing challenges in recruiting due to how tight the employment market is. 

“For teacher trainees in 2023, bursaries worth up to £27,000 and scholarships worth up to £29,000 in key subjects such as chemistry, computing, mathematics and physics are available. 

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“The Government is also committed to raising the starting salary for teachers to £30,000 by next year.

“At a local level, Bolton council has a good record in collectively nurturing and supporting our teachers in our schools where we can.”

A result on the NEU’s ballot is expected in the coming weeks.