Labour begins push to recruit 6,500 teachers

New education secretary Bridget Phillipson has begun the work to recruit 6,500 new teachers as promised by the Labour party in its manifesto.

She plans to reset the government's relationship with the sector and transform the image of teaching to attract fresh talent and retain those already in classrooms, the Department for Education said.

Phillipson said, “We will work urgently to recruit thousands of brilliant new teachers and reset the relationship between government and the education workforce.

She observed that the teaching profession "has been talked down, sidelined and denigrated". "I have made it my first priority to write today to the people at the centre of making change happen: our workforces," she added.

The Education Secretary will hold a reception with key education stakeholders later this week, and meet with teaching unions in the coming days.

Teaching unions had strained relations with the previous government and several days of strikes took place across the UK last year over pay, BBC reports.

The department will also immediately resume its flagship teacher recruitment campaign - Every Lesson Shapes a Life, and restart its further education recruitment campaign - Share Your Skills.

Launched in 2018, Every Lesson Shapes a Life aims to inspire people aged 18-29 to take up teaching.

The campaign aims to demonstrate that teaching is a fulfilling, exciting career that can make a real difference to children's and young people's lives, and enable teachers to progress professionally.

The aim of recruiting and retaining more teachers is to provide strong foundations for children at primary school and later impart the knowledge and skills needed to seize opportunities in life and work.