Jobs crisis for teachers

And teaching unions say the stress of uncertainty is harming their health, with some suffering nervous breakdowns.

One union official estimated 226 teachers have yet to find work for September. Ian Murch, Bradford's representative on the National Union of Teachers' executive, said: "The teachers who aren't placed are really fed up and some people are in poor health because of it.

"I know several people who have had breakdowns as a result because they can't cope with the uncertainty."

But Councillor Ian Greenwood, the Leader of Bradford City Council, issued an assurance today that it was the authority's intention to get all teachers placed.

There are around 100 vacancies at present created by the reorganisation, although more are expected to be advertised later in the year due to retirement and normal movement of staff.

However, of the jobs currently on the table, most are unsuitable for available teachers as they are for nursery or A-level teaching posts.

Dot Bracegirdle, a teacher at Wyke Middle School in Huddersfield Road, is one of the lucky ones.

A teacher with 27-years' experience, she only found a job at the end of last year.

"I have got a job at Salt Grammar teaching English," said Mrs Bracegirdle. "It is a huge weight off my mind."

However, Ann Wilcock, a colleague at Wyke, has not been so fortunate and as yet does not have a job to go to in the Autumn.

Councillor Susanne Rooney, executive member for education at the council, said: "As a former teacher myself, my heart goes out to the staff that genuinely want a place within the system and everything and anything will be considered within reason to allow that."

Possible proposals include the education authority paying a teacher's wage for one term in a school to offer an extra teacher for more flexibility for that school, with the school picking up the bill out of its own budget in the following two terms.

Coun Rooney said the plan for no compulsory redundancies among teaching staff still stood.

Stuart Herdson, National Executive member for Leeds and Bradford of teaching union the Association for Teachers and Lecturers, said 40 of his members were among 226 without places in the shake-up.

"We have an agreement with Bradford Council there will not be compulsory redundancies for teaching staff," he said.

And he described schools staff as "subdued, angry and fed up".

Coun Greenwood said early retirement was not an option at present.

All middle schools will shut this summer under the shake-up which will see the three-tier system of first, middle and upper schools cut to a two-stage system of primary and secondary schools.

Middle schools teachers had to send anonymous CVs to schools in their areas, which selected staff before finding out whom they had appointed.

There had been fears that middle school teachers would not be recruited by expanding secondary schools where teachers generally have higher qualifications in the form of a post-graduate certificates of education.

Mr Murch said the teachers who had not yet found posts were generally at the higher end of the pay scale.

There were also many part-timers who had not found a suitable job.

"It is not a personal reflection on them. The teachers who have not been placed are just as good as those who have."

The teaching unions say allowing some teachers nearing the end of their career to take early retirement or offering enhanced training packages to schools would alleviate some of the problems.

Mr Murch said he expected around 400 jobs to be advertised in Bradford schools around Easter.

"We estimate there will be the normal 250-300 jobs in Bradford schools advertised around Easter.

"There will also be other jobs because schools may have been waiting until the last moment to advertise for more jobs."

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