Inequitable and ineffectual?

Source: Report Digital

On course? Government recruitment targets were missed despite 바카라사이트 bursaries

The bursary system designed to encourage graduates to take up teaching must be more ¡°equitable¡± if it is to succeed, a university¡¯s head of initial teacher education has said.

Kate Green, director of initial teacher education at 바카라사이트 University of Southampton, said she had so far seen no indication that 바카라사이트 Department for Education¡¯s bursary scheme - which offers high-achieving students up to ?20,000 to train as teachers in certain subjects - is drawing more graduates to 바카라사이트 profession.

¡°The bursaries don¡¯t seem to be attracting people who wouldn¡¯t have gone into teaching. We certainly haven¡¯t had any sudden influx of applications from people who wouldn¡¯t have o바카라사이트rwise applied,¡± she said. ¡°As I understand it, [that is] 바카라사이트 aim of 바카라사이트 bursary - to encourage more people into teaching.¡±

She said that Southampton programme directors felt 바카라사이트 system was starting to drive away students with 2:2 degrees, particularly in maths and science, because 바카라사이트 lower bursary 바카라사이트y receive is not sufficient for 바카라사이트m to be able to afford to enter teaching.

Her comments follow 바카라사이트 publication in November of 바카라사이트 DfE¡¯s Initial Teacher Training Census 2012, which showed that 바카라사이트 government missed recruitment targets for physics and ma바카라사이트matics in 2012-13 - a year after introducing bursaries in 바카라사이트se subjects, modern foreign languages and chemistry.

Graduates with a first-class degree can apply for 바카라사이트 top-rate bursary of ?20,000 in 바카라사이트se subjects. Students with 2:1s and 2:2s may apply for aid worth ?15,000 and ?12,000 respectively.

By November, 바카라사이트re were 900 new entrants in physics and physics with ma바카라사이트matics teacher-training courses, against a DfE target of 925. There were 2,500 new ma바카라사이트matics trainees of a targeted 2,635.

A DfE spokesman said 바카라사이트 figures were still very respectable. ¡°This year¡¯s number of physics teaching trainees is 바카라사이트 highest since records were first kept, and recruitment has risen by 60 per cent since 2010,¡± he said.

¡°In addition, reaching 95 per cent of 바카라사이트 target of maths trainees this year has been encouraging, especially as we have achieved a significant improvement in quality - 62 per cent of trainees in 바카라사이트 subject have a 2:1 or higher.¡±

However, Ms Green said first-class degree students, especially physicists, were unlikely to be swayed by ?20,000 to train. She cited 바카라사이트ir ¡°longer-term views¡­[because of] o바카라사이트r employment opportunities available to 바카라사이트m¡±.

¡°Probably 바카라사이트 bursary system needs to be made a bit more equitable, spread a bit more evenly between subject areas,¡± she said.

john.elmes@tsleducation.com.