SUPPLY TEACHERS

That this House appreciates and values the work of supply teachers, who are an essential resource for schools; is concerned that in the past five years there has been a significant increase in the number and cost of agencies supplying teachers to schools, meaning increasing amounts of public money going on agency profits rather than to pay teachers; notes that schools in England spent over £733 million of public funds on private agency supply teachers in 2013-14, up from £600 million in 2012-13; further notes that Teaching Personnel and Protocol agencies made gross profits of £20.139 million on a £81.381 million turnover and £14.281 million on a £65.832 million turnover respectively in 2013-14, according to figures filed at Companies House; notes that a survey for the National Union of Teachers found that almost eight in 10 supply teachers found work through such agencies and that only 6.9 per cent were paid according to the national teachers' pay rates; considers it unfair that if a teacher is employed by or via a supply agency, they are not eligible to participate in the Teachers' Pension Scheme; notes that in Northern Ireland there remains an efficient public register of supply teachers; and calls on the Government to incentivise and provide the necessary funding to local authorities to allow schools to utilise public models for the employment of supply teachers in order to avoid wasting public funds on private agency profits whilst offering supply teachers fair pay, terms and conditions.