Education chiefs are working on a number of initiatives to attract good candidates living in the island into teaching and to attract teachers from off-island to teach here.
The problem of Manx schools finding it difficult to recruit specialist teaching staff was highlighted in last week’s Manx Independent, where it was revealed one GCSE physics class at Castle Rushen High School had no fewer than 56 students.
Current teaching vacancies also warn potential candidates from the UK that the UK Teachers’ Pension Scheme treats the Isle of Man as an overseas scheme.
It means teachers who come to the island and remain in teaching here for more than five years would not be able to rejoin the UK Teachers’ Pension Scheme as an existing member.
The Department of Education and Children says a shortage of teachers is affecting schools across the British Isles.
A spokesman said: ‘The Isle of Man is not alone in being affected by the issues regarding recruitment and the demand for teachers out-stripping the supply.
‘The shortage of teachers applies especially in science, technology, engineering and maths.
‘However, the DEC is working on a number of initiatives to attract good candidates already living on the island into teaching and to attract teachers from off-island to teach here.’
The spokesman said: ‘It is difficult to know precise numbers of people who have been put off applying by the current pension arrangements as it’s impossible to establish who hasn’t applied for a vacancy and why.
‘However, we are striving to ensure the many benefits of living and working in the Isle of Man – such as the high standard of living, successful economy, our record for innovation, our rich culture and heritage, Government’s investment in school buildings and our much-praised Six Rs curriculum – are advertised widely.’
The DEC is working with UK recruitment agency Hays to promote teaching on the island.
Hays is developing a ‘microsite’ dedicated to Isle of Man vacancies, promoting them across its database of some 100,000-plus colleagues.
It is creating a ‘Careers on the Isle of Man’ postcard campaign and is ensuring Isle of Man representation at recruitment fairs.
The DEC offers ‘golden hellos’ (an additional payment to new teachers at the start of their second and third years of their permanent employment), rent subsidies for teachers in shortage subjects, relocation packages and are about to advertise the benefits of teaching here through ITV Player.
Representatives from each of the DEC’s secondary schools recently visited UK teacher training institutions to promote teaching on the island and to seek out potential recruits.
The department says the waiving of the requirement for a work permit for secondary school teachers was helping.
The DEC offers two main routes to qualifying as a teacher in difficult to recruit subjects, both aimed at graduates working in schools as an unqualified teacher in a ‘shortage’ subject.
There are 15 candidates working across the DEC’s secondary schools currently taking these pathways.
The DEC also funds, where eligible, students who follow traditional pathways into teaching through degree courses.