RECRUITMENT to teaching is at a seven-year high, with 2,667 more trainees accepted for postgraduate courses starting this term.
The latest figures suggest Government initiatives, such as pound;6,000 training bursaries, pound;4,000 “golden hellos” and student loan repayments in shortage subjects, are having an impact.
But problems remain in attracting enough maths, science and languages candidates, who have more lucrative alternative career options.
Secondary acceptances in England are up 11 per cent (1,424) and primary up 17.5 per cent (1,160). The secondary total is reported as 14,384, although 741 of these candidates have withdrawn. In Wales, primary acceptances are down 2.6 per cent (-14) and secondary up 7.2 per cent (74).
Despite a 7 per cent fall in RE applications in England, acceptances are up 1.8 per cent to 521. Maths, physics, IT, and business studies are up a fifth or more. But despite the extra 222 mathematicians recruited, the subject will again fail to hit targets, said recruitment expert John Howson.
Meanwhile, a pan-European study of teacher supply and recruitment says the UK is doing the most to attract recruits. The Netherlands and Sweden have a recruitment squeeze and rising secondary pupil numbers.
Only half of newly-qualified Dutch trainees are teaching, compared to 60 per cent in the UK. More than 40 per cent of British teachers are over 45, but the average German or Italian teacher is 50, says Eurydice, a European Commission education programme.
Only the UK and the Netherlands use supply agencies. The report says:
“Shortages of teachers are encountered more frequently in countries in which recruitment is decentralised and by advertisement.” The only European country with surplus teachers is Portugal.
The Teaching Profession in Europe: see www.eurydice.org
