Explore some of the current issues in education with Elevate Supply, and how to counteract any problems you may be faced with. 

In the last twenty years, the educational landscape has changed drastically. The sphere of teaching is marked by a number of current educational issues such as teacher retention rates, inflation, changes in job security, AI, burnout and the repercussions of the COVID-19 pandemic. 

Although some of these challenges can be resolved through intervention strategies or contingency planning, educators have had to reshape the way schools operate and how young learners experience the learning environment. Together, these challenges highlight the need for systemic reforms and solutions that address the evolving needs of the learning environment. 

At ElevateSupply, our aim is to help both learning institutions and supply teachers, to ease the issues they may be facing in education, and offer support for them with our services. 

Our team is fully committed to making life easier for our users and our platform is designed to be as user-friendly as possible so you can easily set up and manage your preferences.

As an educator, you have the power to set and control your availability and day rate for short or long term planning. We provide you with information and support via enhanced profiles, guides and resources. 

As a school, we will only offer you fully compliant supply teachers with appropriate availability in your area. We handle the time-consuming admin of compliance, timesheets and payments for you. 

So, with that being said, we hope to ease the burden of the current issues in education. For now, let’s look into some of the challenges and consider how to advise educators to solve them. 

Limited access to resources and information

A prevalent issue in education is the overwhelming disconnection between supply teachers and educational resources. Often, schools are able to provide lesson templates, specific activities or subscriptions to educational companies to ease the burden of lesson planning. However, in the absence of a lesson plan or educational resources, supply teachers are responsible for devising and delivering a suitable lesson. Some supply teachers develop pre-planned activities in the event they are ‘parachuted’ into a class with no or minimal lesson plan available.  

Although this is expected of supply teachers due to the demanding nature of education, and the often last minute lessons that can take place, significant challenges can arise if an educator doesn’t have effective teaching aids. This can result in a lack of organisation and as a consequence, impact the educator’s mental health and the students' learning experience. 

Classroom management can also become difficult if supply teachers are unable to access behaviour management tools or established routine recommendations. Educators may find it difficult to maintain authority as a result of the lack of advised learning resources, which can lead to behavioural issues in the classroom. The absence of differentiated learning materials can prevent the teacher from catering to the diverse needs of students, such as pupils who have special educational needs. 

Overall, the current educational issue of a lack of resources can apply added pressure to educators, which causes stress and increases the likelihood of burnout. Not only this, students also suffer due to inconsistent learning patterns. To mitigate these issues, schools should ensure that supply teachers have access to comprehensive lesson plans and essential teaching materials. 

However, in the event that this doesn’t arise, we can help. As an Elevate educator, you get access to a FREE Twinkl Ultimate Membership when you work with Elevate Supply at least once a month for access to top-quality resources to make life in the classroom easier. So, you will always be able to instantly download excellent activities from one of the global leaders in Ed-Tech publishing. 

Sounds good? Check out Elevate Supply for more. 

Mental health problems and burn-out 

Teacher burnout is a huge current educational issue across the country. Many educators, whether they work full-time or part-time, or whether they’re a supply teacher, a tutor, a teaching assistant or a classroom teacher, have stated that they feel like their workload is overwhelming, which can result in a negative impact on mental health. 

According to the National Education Union survey, 41% of teachers in a survey of over 8,000 members described their workload as "unmanageable" and 37% described it as "only just manageable". As well as this, a staggering 89% claimed they felt a lack of energy or exhaustion during term time, and 80% felt negativity or cynicism against the teaching sector. This issue has been exacerbated by increased administrative duties, large class sizes and the emotional toll that teaching can often have. 

Although we can’t completely solve this problem (however much we’d like to) we can offer ongoing support, including access to a dedicated team for any questions or concerns you may have. Fancy a chat about any of the issues discussed above? Simply contact us contact@elevatesupply.co.uk or call us on 0114 700 8490 and one of our account managers will be able to support you. 

As well as this, you have the power to set and control your availability and day rate for short or long term planning. This means you’ll have full control over your schedule and you won’t feel pressured to sacrifice your mental well-being. 

Teacher retention levels 

One of the biggest issues in education currently is teacher retention levels. Educators are leaving the profession at alarmingly high rates due to burnout, stress, low pay and a lack of benefits. According to the DfE, in 2023, almost 13% of newly qualified teachers left after their first year and 18% of newly qualified teachers left after their second year. As well as this, specialised subjects such as STEM and foreign languages are being hit the hardest. Recruitment of physics teachers is 83% below target for 2023/24. This means schools are forced to hire under qualified staff or rely on long-term substitutes, which can sometimes impact the quality of education.

Addressing teacher retention requires a multifaceted approach that focuses on improving working conditions, supporting professional growth and fostering a sense of purpose and community within schools. 

This will be a process that takes time and reform, but there are certainly ways for educators to alleviate the temptation of leaving the profession. At Elevate Supply, we wish to promote a positive classroom culture for supply teachers and offer opportunities for ongoing professional development, such as classroom management settings and technological integration. With our expertise and Twinkl’s wealth of experience with CPD and so much more, we can help you to feel more engaged and motivated to continue in the profession.

Lack of flexibility 

With the rise of hybrid schedules and remote working benefits, the teaching sector has been left behind. Teachers are not able to work from home, which creates rigid schedules for teachers personal lives. This means personal needs, family commitments, appointments or simple self-care can be pushed to the side. This lack of control can make it difficult to juggle work with personal responsibilities, leading to stress and a negative work-life balance. 

Teaching is certainly a vocation, and can be a time-consuming profession that often extends well beyond classroom hours. This isn’t just for classroom teachers, but for supply teachers, TA’s, tutors and many other teaching roles. Without flexibility in workload expectations, teachers can often find themselves working late into the evening or staying at school past the expected hours! This constant ‘on-call mentality’ can lead to an exhausting lifestyle.

With Elevate Supply, flexibility is guaranteed. We can offer short-term, long-term, and permanent positions, including roles for teaching assistants, cover supervisors and subject specialists. You decide the areas you're willing to work in, and we'll only match you with roles in those locations. 

So you’re safe in the knowledge that you won’t have an unnecessarily long commute or issues with not being assigned the correct role in the learning space. You have full control over your availability and can choose the specific days you'd like to work. Meaning if you do need a ‘Me’ day or you have an important appointment you can’t miss, you’ll be able to do so in peace. 

Despite the numerous issues facing the teaching profession today, we wish to advocate that there is hope for a brighter future. While issues like teacher burnout, inadequate resources, and low retention rates can seem overwhelming, they are not insurmountable. Solutions are already being explored and implemented across many schools and districts, proving that positive change is possible. Ultimately, the current educational issues are a call to action for policymakers and institutions to invest more deeply in the wellbeing of teachers and students alike. 

With the help of Elevate Supply and Twinkl, as well as educational resources and technological advancements, the teaching profession can regain its strength and resilience, creating a sustainable and fulfilling career for educators and a positive, enriching experience for students. 

The future of education is bright, and with collective effort, we can make it even brighter!