HEAD teachers in Wales launched a stinging attack today on a Welsh government package of incentives for teachers.

National Association of Head Teachers (NAHT) Cymru said if the recruitment crisis in education was to be solved, the Welsh government had to tackle the “endemic challenges facing all teachers.”

The school leaders’ union was responding to an initiative taken by the Welsh government to mark World Teachers’ Day.

Cabinet Secretary for Education Lynne Neagle confirmed a programme of support for 2026, which includes incentives for teachers from minority ethnic backgrounds as well as for priority subjects and the Welsh language, with £25,000 available for postgraduate study.

“I am pleased once again to confirm a package of incentives to support those already training and to help attract more people to the teaching profession,” Ms Neagle said.

“On World Teachers’ Day, I want to thank our teachers and recognise the incredible work they do in shaping the next generation.

“For those who are thinking about teaching, I would encourage you to find out more about the support available.”

In Wales, there are shortages for secondary school teachers in biology, chemistry, design & technology, information technology, mathematics, modern foreign languages, physics and Welsh.

The Welsh government also pays teachers’ salaries for an employment-based route into teaching, delivered by the Open University over a two-year course. The scheme started in 2020, and 505 graduates have benefited.

NAHT Cymru national secretary Laura Doel said: “We appreciate that the recruitment of subject-specific teachers, Welsh language teachers, and teachers from ethnic minorities is problematic.

“But we feel that this incentive package ignores the wider concerns of the profession.

“NAHT has long campaigned for an improvement to the terms and conditions of all teachers and leaders to ensure the profession remains attractive for all.

“We firmly believe that creating the conditions where all can thrive, having manageable workloads and reasonable expectations, is a much more sustainable way of tackling the recruitment and retention crisis.”

Ms Doel said the incentives are for those during and on completion of their training, and there “appears to be no requirement for them to work in schools for a certain number of years to gain or retain the financial benefit.”