The biggest pressure facing teachers is a “lack of respect”, the prime minister said at a private reception today.
Sir Keir Starmer hosted a reception at Downing Street to celebrate teachers and teaching assistants this afternoon.
Addressing the attendees, he said that he recognises the “huge pressures that you’ve been under in recent years”.
“You hardly need me to recite back to you: school buildings crumbling, teachers leaving in droves, more teachers leaving in their thirties than I think we have ever had before,” the prime minister continued.
Sir Keir also said that absenteeism is “through the roof”, which is a “real cause for concern”.
His comments come after it was revealed that pupils’ unauthorised absence rates have not dropped since higher fines were introduced in September.
However, Sir Keir said that “possibly the biggest pressure [for teachers] is not being treated with respect”.
The prime minister also thanked the teachers and teaching assistants in attendance for all of the work they did during the Covid pandemic.
The reception came just a week after the government’s Budget, which announced that core school funding will increase by £2.3 billion a year, including an extra £1 billion for special educational needs and disabilities.
The Department for Education will get £6.7 billion in capital funding next year, part of which is to deliver on the existing school rebuilding programme.
Last week also saw formal legal action launched against the government by the Independent Schools Council, which is taking the government to court over the introduction of VAT on private school fees.
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