The United Kingdom is facing a critical shortage of qualified teachers, particularly in subjects like mathematics, physics, and special education, just as the new academic year approaches. According to a report from the UK Department for Education, teacher recruitment targets have been missed for the third consecutive year. Over 30,000 posts are either vacant or filled by unqualified personnel, with rural schools the worst affected.
Education unions blame low starting salaries, long hours, and a lack of support for new teachers. They are urging the government to improve working conditions, offer retention bonuses, and simplify recruitment.
This situation is being closely observed in South Asian countries such as India and Bangladesh, where similar challenges exist. Policymakers may draw lessons from the UK’s failures and pilot proactive retention programs to avoid a similar crisis in the future.
