Posted on 17/05/2016 by David Owen

Primary and secondary schools in England struggling to recruit teachers spent £821m on supply staff last year, it has emerged.

Analysis by BBC News shows the equivalent of £168 was spent on each child in order to hire in extra staff to cover vacancies and absences.

Teachers unions say the amount of money spent reflects a "serious teacher recruitment and retention crisis".

The government said the number of quality teachers was at a record high.

The latest data for schools in England shows spending on supply teachers accounted for 6% of the total amount spent on teaching staff wages. The overall figure spent on supply teachers fell by £18m on the previous year.

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-36301843