Lucy Powell MP, Labour’s Shadow Secretary of State for Education, responding to the National Audit Office report on the Government’s failure on teacher recruitment and retention, said:

“This NAO report should be a further wake up call for the Tory Government who have been in denial and neglectful about teacher shortages. The teacher recruitment and retention crisis is serious and growing, with schools struggling to get teachers with the right qualifications in front of classes in subjects vital to our country’s economic success, such as maths, science, English and modern foreign languages.

“Having enough high-quality teachers is the first job of any Education Secretary, yet year after year she has failed to attract and retain enough teachers in our schools. This record of failure is threatening school standards and the future success of the next generation.”