Almost every education authority is struggling to recruit or retain teachers.

East Sussex County Council has been pro-active in tempting former teachers back into the profession.

It is offering a course which will allow former primary school teachers to brush-up on their skills.

Not only is the council offering training, it is offering teachers a bursary of £150 a week and up to £150 per child per week towards the cost of childcare while they retrain.

The council believes the incentives may draw on the pool of teachers, particularly female, who left their careers to have families or to pursue other careers.

It should be congratulated for taking positive steps to try to address the shortfall of teachers.

Any staffing shortfall has a knock-on effect on the morale of those colleagues who are left trying to do their own work as well as plug the gaps.

Hopefully the scheme will prove successful and bring numbers up to capacity. Then the teachers' job will be easier and more enjoyable, which can only benefit pupils' education.