Teacher numbers have plummeted despite Labour‘s ‘vindictive’ tax on private schools to pay for a promise of 6,500 more.
New official statistics show there were 466,372 teachers in 2025, a decrease of 1,900 on the year before, when Labour came to power.
The data, which is the latest available, shows falls at both primary and secondary level – with only special needs teacher numbers growing.
The Government said the reductions were due to a fall in pupil numbers due to a declining birth rate, and that primary schools were never included in the recruitment target.
It said teacher numbers are up in further education
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