RECRUITMENT and retention in the teaching profession is at crisis point and could get even worse due to the widening pay gap with other professions, teaching union Nasuwt claimed yesterday.

A shortage of teachers is impacting on “the entitlement of children to a high-quality education,” the union warned.

A report commissioned by the union, carried out by Incomes Data Research (IDR) on teacher salaries at different career points concludes that members of the profession have not had significant real-terms pay increases since before the recession.