Commenting on the Government's annual data releases covering pupil and school staff numbers, Daniel Kebede, general secretary of the National Education Union, said:
“The Government stands at a crossroads on education. Falling pupil numbers mean there is an opportunity to drastically improve children's opportunities by increasing school staffing levels and reducing class sizes, as the previous Labour government did 25 years ago.
“Overall teacher numbers are down by 1,900, making a mockery of the Government's promise of 6,500 extra teachers. The number of newly-qualified teachers entering the profession is the lowest since records began 30 years ago. Class sizes are little changed from record highs and still the highest in Europe, with over a million pupils still taught in classes of 31 or more.
The Government risks squandering the opportunity that falling pupil numbers provides. It can continue its current course: failing to address the damage from years of underfunding, locking in high class sizes, leaving school staff burnt out and schools running on empty. Or it can begin to undo the harm caused by a decade and a half of neglect, create smaller, more inclusive classes and address the crisis in the system. There is no room for complacency. The Government must implement the fully funded above inflation pay rises and improvements in workload that are urgently needed to tackle teacher shortages and protect our education service.”