...and statistics
`Mr Arthur Wade, . . . [the National Association of Head Teachers] spokes- man in South Yorkshire, said increasing indiscipline was the reason so many teachers were leaving at the age of 50.
`Mr Kenneth Baker, Secretary of State for Education and Science, denied yesterday that violence was endemic . . . He said fewer than six per cent of teachers left the profession each year for reasons other than normal retire-
ment.' (The Times, 12 May)
Mr Wade mentioned 'the age of 50' because teachers can only retire on pensions from 50 on. Violence in schools may not be endemic, but that is not to say that it is not epidemic. In the year 1985-86, 27,000 teachers under 60 left the profession. (Females have nor- mally retired at 60, males at 65). Those leavers aged 60 or over numbered only 3,600, so of all who left in 1985-86 at least 88 per cent did so for 'reasons other than normal retirement' (though this called in question 60 or 65 as `normal' for retirement).
In 1985 the total of teachers calcu- lated on a broadly comparable basis was 408,200. This gives a percentage for the total leaving 'for reasons other than normal retirement' of roughly 6.6 per cent. But for Mr Baker to cite so small a figure ignores the enormous percentage of teachers leaving the profession who did so early. It is true that early leavers were not necessarily demoralised by violence. The largest category consisted of under-50s, many of them young women starting families, although sex- ual harassment by pupils of young female teachers may be a contributory factor. But Mr Baker was not addres- sing Mr Wade's allegation squarely. (£20 goes to T.H. Hughes-Davies, of Fordingbridge, Hampshire.)
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