The UK government has announced that it has met 70% of its pledge to recruit 20,000 new teachers, with over 3,000 specialist and secondary teachers and 1,600 in further education joining the profession.
This achievement comes two years into this parliament, with the government attributing the success to a post-pandemic record number of people choosing to train to teach.
The news will be welcomed by Education Secretary Gillian Keegan, who has been a key figure in the government's teacher recruitment drive.
The UK's teaching workforce has faced significant challenges in recent years, including staff shortages and burnout. The recruitment of new teachers is seen as a crucial step in addressing these issues and improving the quality of education in UK schools.
The Liberal Democrats have welcomed the news, but have called for further action to address the remaining teacher shortages. 'This is a positive step, but we still have a long way to go to address the teacher shortage in our schools,' said Education Spokesperson Daisy Cooper. 'We need to see more investment in teacher training and recruitment, as well as better support for existing teachers who are struggling to cope with the demands of the job.'