TEACHERS slammed the Welsh government today for failing to tackle low pay and the recruitment crisis in schools.

Headteachers’ union NAHT Cymru was responding after the Welsh government announced details of a £900,000 grant to help schools increase the numbers of Welsh-speaking teachers and tackle short-term staffing problems.

NAHT Cymru’s Laura Doel said: “This grant scheme does nothing to fundamentally address the shortages of Welsh-medium teachers and we urge caution in encouraging teachers to teach outside their specialisms.

“It is not a substitute for proper investment in addressing recruitment and retention issues, including by addressing excessive workload, restoring the value of pay and attracting new Welsh speakers into the profession.

“The Welsh Language and Education Act is woefully unrealistic, with no plan to properly support the workforce to speak Welsh, and it is setting the profession up to fail.”

From September, schools will be able to use a £900,000 fund to increase the numbers of teachers, the Welsh government announced on Monday.

The Welsh-medium grant from the devolved government allows secondary schools to find ways to increase the numbers of Welsh-speaking teachers and teaching assistants.

NEU Cymru called today for an above-inflation rise for the workforce, pointing out that pay has reduced significantly in real terms since 2010 and saying: “We need to ensure teaching is fairly rewarded.”

The NEU Cymru spokeswoman said: ”Wales has real challenges in recruiting Welsh medium teachers. 

“Our members tell us more needs to be done to support the current workforce to learn Welsh and training opportunities for those who speak Welsh to be able to teach through the medium of Welsh.”

An NASUWT Cymru spokesperson welcomed the injection of cash to support schools to develop their Welsh-medium curriculum.

“But it is important that the Welsh government keep sight of the recruitment and retention crisis in education that includes more than just Welsh-medium teachers,” they said.

“Teaching must be once again an attractive and desirable career for our Welsh and English-medium graduates.

“Our members are clear that only proper real-terms funding, addressing pupil behaviour and a reduction in workload and bureaucracy will see teaching become desirable to graduates as well as retain those early in their teaching careers.”