Ministers have been urged to focus on schemes that will shift the dial in the recruitment crisis – rather than on “pitifully small” projects that do not “begin to scratch the surface”.
The broadside from Pepe Di’Iasio, the new general secretary of the ASCL school leaders’ union, comes after DfE spending on various smaller recruitment drives raised eyebrows.
One such venture will see the Scouts develop “teaching skills” as part of attaining their badges under a scheme to boost flagging recruitment by “inspiring the next generation of teachers”.
As first reported by Schools Week, the Scout Association has won a contract worth up to £129,000 over three years to provide 40,000 “explorers” – those aged 14 to 18 – with the “skills and knowledge they need to consider pursuing a career in teaching”.
