Staffing crisis facing schools a union explains
Taking sick leave during the academic year will put schools in a worse situation, says a teaching union.
Schools lack a “dire” shortage of back-up teachers, according to the National Association of Schoolmasters/Union of Women Teachers (NASUWT).
In preparation for the academic year, 72 positions for teachers and teaching assistants were advertised across the states.
NASUWT’s Marina Mauger said teachers and teaching assistants were still in short supply in schools.
“I would say we are somewhat at crisis point, if there is a major sickness among staff or a Covid outbreak, we will have no cover, supply teachers are severely undersupplied.”.
‘Dire’ situation
“It probably is the worst I have ever seen for teaching assistants, it’s dire but then who would want to go into that job, it’s very bad rates of pay and little professional development.”
As of today, 61 jobs are advertised on the government website for the education and childcare sector.
A shortage of supply teachers and teaching assistants is being caused by the high cost of living in Jersey, according to Mauger.
“It’s incredibly expensive to live in Jersey, we can’t get teachers or nurses, we’re short in every industry because the island has become unattractive as a place to live and work, it’s just too expensive now,” she said.
Plan of action
After 72 teachers were lacking at the end of last term, the education minister noted there are fewer vacancies now.
An action plan should be in place soon, Deputy Inna Gardiner said.
“It is difficult to recruit teaching assistants for various reasons, and I met with two unions, and am looking for another union to work with.”
“We have challenges, we have difficulties, we are managing them and we need to work on this together.”