The Macclesfield Academy (Image: Google Street View)
The Macclesfield Academy's plan to pay students ￡10 an hour has been criticised as "short-sighted" and "highly exploitative" by a union chef. The school posted the job advertisement on its Facebook page, calling for Year 12 or 13 students who had previously attended The Macclesfield Academy and were interested in tutoring opportunities.
The post read: "Calling for Year 12 or 13 students, who previously attended The Macclesfield Academy and would be interested in tutoring opportunities.
"We are looking for individuals to tutor our current students in GCSE Maths, English or Science, from 3.30pm to 4.15pm in the new academic year. Requirements: must know the GCSE specification and be available for training before sessions begin. ￡10 per hour and a DBS will be arranged for you."
A concerned member of the public, who preferred to remain anonymous, brought the post to the attention of Cheshire Live, describing it as "desperate measures." When approached for comment, headteacher Mat Galvin declined to provide a statement at this time, as the school had already closed for the summer holidays.
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Peter Middleman, the North West Regional Secretary of the National Education Union, strongly criticised the school's decision, acknowledging the recruitment and retention crisis within the teaching profession but deeming the use of sixth form students as tutors as misguided and exploitative.
Mr Middleman said the school "will not be immune from the general recruitment and retention crisis within teaching in England".
He said: "We are aware of the advert seeking Year 12 and 13 students to tutor GCSE classes at Macclesfield Academy and share the concerns of the local community.
"The academy will not be immune from the general recruitment and retention crisis within teaching in England which means that one in eight Key Stage 4 Mathematics lessons is currently taught by a qualified teacher who has no specialism in the subject beyond A-Level.
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Mr Middleman emphasised students preparing for important national examinations, along with their families, have the right to expect qualified educators who are appropriately compensated for their work, rather than relying on "cheap" alternatives.
He said: "The under-funding of our school system is a product of a decade of austerity inspired cuts and the catastrophic fall in the proportion of GDP the UK government dedicates to education leaves us in the unfortunate position of being very-much the poor relation compared to other developed nations and this is something the electorate will need to consider as we get closer to a General Election in 2024."
Despite the criticism, there was a supportive response to the school's post, with one comment saying: "I think this is a great opportunity for those wanting to, especially if they want to go into the teaching field."
This article was crafted with the help of AI tools, which speed up Express.co.uk’s editorial research. A news editor reviewed this content before it was published. You can report any errors to readercomplaints@reachplc.com.
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