Harriet's Story

In Kingston and Surbiton, 29-year-old Harriet wanted to become a teacher in London's schools. She had the qualifications and the passion, but hit a wall when teacher training bursaries for subjects with critical shortages were reduced. The Department for Education set national recruitment targets that ignore regional disparities like London's higher living costs, because Treasury spending rules force departments to compete for fixed pots of money. The classrooms existed, qualified graduates were ready to teach, but the political decision to connect them was missing. This episode explores how central government choices create artificial scarcity in education, leaving students without the teachers they need. Views expressed are those of participants and do not represent official policy positions.