Focus on Education

In 2007 a McKinsey report looked at the factors that contribute to the most successful school systems around the world. Unsurprisingly, one of the key factors was attracting and retaining the right people to become teachers and it was concluded that “the quality of an education system cannot exceed the quality of its teachers”. If we accept this as true then data released last week by the National Foundation for Educational Research would suggest significant problems lie ahead for England’s state secondary education system. Since 2010 the number of secondary education teachers has declined by five per cent while the number of pupils has increased and is forecast to increase further by nineteen per cent over the next decade. In a time of very low unemployment the government is going to need to work hard and be creative to attract and retain the skilled staff needed for an effective education system.