Marcus's Story

Marcus, 27, from Oxford West and Abingdon wanted to become a secondary school teacher in a critical shortage subject. Despite having the qualifications and passion, he found himself blocked when teacher training bursaries were slashed for his region. The Department for Education set national recruitment targets that ignore regional disparities, while HM Treasury's spending rules force departments to compete for fixed pots of money, as though the government that creates the currency must first find it somewhere. The classrooms were there. The graduates who wanted to teach were there. What was missing was the political decision to connect them. This week on Blocked Britain, we explore how Westminster's choices are keeping qualified teachers out of South East classrooms. Blocked Britain contains strong language and adult themes.