Schools 'timebomb' as 55% of heads near retirement

http://education.guardian.co.uk/schools/story/0,,2286181,00.html

Up to 55% of headteachers could retire within four years, according to the
government's chief adviser on school leadership who says schools are facing a
"demographic time bomb" in the staff room.
Some schools may consider employing heads who have no experience of teaching
in order to fill posts, said Steve Munby, head of the National College for
School Leadership (NCSL). Official figures suggest that half of headteachers
will retire in 10 years but internal research conducted by the NCSL reveals
that the figure could be much higher. Up to 55% are due for retirement or
could leave if current trends continue by 2012, Munby said.

"Looking at the age profile of the profession an estimated 55% will retire by
2012. One of our jobs is to address retention. It is a demographic timebomb,"
he said. A bulge in the number of headteachers about to turn 60 - fuelled by
the 1950s baby-boomer generation - is behind the problem.

Munby is due to address the NCSL annual conference today with the schools
secretary, Ed Balls, who has put the NCSL and support for headteachers at the
heart of the government's plans to eliminate low-performing schools in three
years.

Munby said the college, established by Tony Blair to help deliver New Labour's
drive on education after it came to power in 1997, is training and identifying
enough new headteachers to keep vacancies low and steady, but that the job
would become more "challenging". Around the country 24 "succession advisers"
are working with local authorities to tackle recruitment problems. In a
minority of cases non-teachers could fill headteacher vacancies, he said,
adding that there was "no principle" which should prevent them. "I think it's
going to happen but it's a small minority," he said.---


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