BOLTON is in a race against education authorities throughout Britain to find new top teachers after a "mass exodus" from schools.

Government changes to the teachers' superannuation scheme began a stampede throughout Britain for early retirement and 14 Bolton primary school heads primary left at Easter ahead of the normal retirement age.

But it left governing bodies with the tough job of filling top posts.

In last week's edition of the Times Educational Supplement a staggering 175 primary headships were advertised throughout the country.

Dave Sutton head of Bolton Education Authority's personnel unit said the number of retirement in the borough at this time of year was "quite unprecedented".

"We have never experienced such a mass exodus at this time of year before and we understand more will be leaving in September.

"This obviously leaves a number of our primary schools without a headteacher but there are a number of positions in the process of being filled and at other schools members of staff are being made up."

The mass resignations come at a time when the main political parties have made poor standards in primary schools a key election issue.

Official figures for the number of teachers leaving the profession before the early retirement scheme was tightened have not yet been published, but estimates nationally have put the number who left at Easter as high as 17,000.

Governors' leaders have complained primary headships are becoming increasingly tough to fill because of the increased pressures created by the introduction of delegated budgets and other management responsibilities.

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