NORTH Somerset could be facing a ‘crisis’ shortfall in teachers, if the predictions of the regional teachers’ union based on national data are correct.

The North Somerset branch of the National Union of Teachers (NUT) says it is becoming difficult to recruit and keep good quality teachers.

According to the latest teacher recruitment data from the Department for Education, the UK will be facing a seven per cent shortfall in new teachers in September for the third year in a row.

Secretary of regional NUT Jon Reddiford, who is also a teacher at Nailsea School, said: “This is a very clear indication of exactly how unattractive the profession has become.

“Workloads of 60 hours a week, a punitive inspection system giving rise to numerous, often pointless, accountability tasks and a total lack of trust in teachers have left the profession demoralised and exhausted with many teachers leaving or planning to leave.”

The NUT is calling for the Government to address the issue of workload before the shortage gets worse.

Mr Reddiford said “It is hardly a system to inspire the confidence of parents, children and society.

“This is a sorry state of affairs and is not the way one of the richest countries in the world should be running its education system.

“We need wholesale change for the better on teacher workload if we are not to see the already pressing issue of teacher recruitment turn into a crisis.”