Mathematics Teacher Shortage in the UK: a continuing problem

Teacher shortage in secondary school mathematics has now reached a critical level internationally. This paper discusses mathematics teacher shortage in the UK in its overt and hidden forms, providing background statistical data on vacancies and recruitment. Factors contributing to the shortage are considered, both in terms of the difficulty of attracting specialists and the diversion of qualified teachers out of the mathematics classroom. The paper draws on evidence from a number of research projects. The concluding section of the paper warns against complacency despite a range of initiatives by the Department of Education and Science (DES), and argues that a number of factors are likely to continue to cause a continuation of mathematics teacher shortage over the next ten years.