Teachers quitting due to poor pupil behaviour: education recruiter responds

Following new research which shows that almost two thirds of teachers (63%) have considered quitting the profession due to poor pupil behaviour, an education recruiter has highlighted how an effective workforce planning strategy can have a positive impact on attrition.

According to the paper, It Just grinds you down, which was published by influential think tank, Policy Exchange, 72% of education professionals said they had known teachers to leave the profession because of disruptive behaviour while 24% are currently considering abandoning their own careers. The research also found that 71% of those polled agreed that people are put off from becoming teachers because of poor pupil behaviour.

The revelation comes as 80% of teachers see ‘low level’ disruption – such as pupils leaving lessons without permission or listening to music – on a daily basis.

Commenting on the proposals, Baljinder Kuller, who has over 15 years’ experience in education recruitment with local authorities and private sector agencies, and is now Managing Director of online supply teacher portal, The Supply Register, said:

“Chronic skills shortages within education are well documented, and the underlying reasons behind this talent shortfall are deep and complex. However, while there has always been universal agreement that unruly pupils are a contributing factor to many professionals throwing the towel in, this is the first time that we have been able to quantify the impact that poor behaviour really has on attraction and retention.

“While the report makes several suggestions with regards to tackling inappropriate behaviour, what it doesn’t state explicitly is that an effective workforce planning strategy is critical to success. Constant application of behaviour policies and support from senior staff, for example, are not possible unless teams have the time and resources to not only build and implement strategies, but also deliver these successfully. Whether that be through introducing a robust parental engagement policy, or ensuring that staff have ongoing access to training in areas such as behaviour management.

“Ultimately, many schools and academies are caught in a vicious cycle where understaffing means that they are not able to direct resources most effectively. However, by mapping the skills they already have internally and formulating a plan to plug talent gaps in the most efficient way, education leaders can stop firefighting and build solid strategies to improve behaviour that benefit pupils and workforces alike.”

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Carly Smith
BlueSky PR
Carly@bluesky-pr.com
T: +44 (0)1582 790 708