Orlando's Story

Orlando, 25, from Wimbledon wanted to become a teacher in London's schools. Despite having a degree and passion for education, he found himself blocked when the Department for Education reduced teacher training bursaries for subjects with critical shortages in the capital. The government set national recruitment targets that ignore regional disparities, treating teacher training as though Westminster must first find money it creates. London classrooms sat understaffed while qualified graduates like Orlando couldn't access the support they needed to enter the profession. This is Orlando's story of how Treasury spending rules turned teaching ambition into educational shortage. Recorded in London. This podcast contains discussion of financial stress and career uncertainty.