City regions should use devolution to introduce sweeping benefits for local teachers, a think tank has said.
Policy Exchange has today urged urban areas to use further powers handed down by Whitehall to offer teachers discounts on housing, childcare and transport costs.
Such an approach would encourage education professionals and their families to live in city areas while helping to tackle falling numbers of students choosing the profession.
The measures were proposed among a range of schemes designed to raise numbers of teachers, including paying off student loans staff starting in state schools or teacher training from September.
Jonathan Simons, head of education at Policy Exchange, said it was now 'imperative' that measures are introduced to provide teachers with 'the best possible chance to have a secure job which gives them a decent standard of living'.
'There is a risk that increased student debt combined with the additional cost of teacher training and the relatively low starting salary will be off-putting to prospective teachers. Offering to cover student loan payments is a visible sign of the Government's support for the profession and may also act to keep people in the classroom,' he said.
'In a modern day economy, mastery of maths is increasingly important, as is the opportunity to retrain and develop skills throughout your working life.'
