National Union of Teachers Press Release

ImmediateRelease 25 September 2003

Secondary schools curriculum and staffing survey

Commenting on theSecondary schools staffing survey released today, Doug McAvoy, GeneralSecretary of the National Union of Teachers said:

This survey hides more than it reveals. It is a classic example of spin concealingthe facts. All the evidence is thatteacher shortages continue particularly in the core subjects of Maths, Scienceand Foreign Languages. Headteachers arestill having to adopt coping strategies to provide a full curriculum.

The message behindthis survey is that the Government is still failing to tackle the root causesof teacher shortage.

In thesecircumstances it is a tribute to teachers and headteachers that there remainsin secondary schools such high quality work and dedication.

EN D S pr70.03

For furtherinformation contact the NUT Press office: 020 7380 4706