million+ comments on NCTL allocations of teacher training places for 2015-16
Following the publication by the National College of Teaching and Leadership on allocations for teacher training places in England for the 2015-16 academic year, the university think-tank million+ has said that the Government’s reforms to teacher education risks creating a shortage of teachers in the future.
The allocations reveal that the number of places allocated to School Direct, a programme introduced by the former Education Secretary Michael Gove under which schools recruit trainees directly, has been increased to 17,600 while the number of allocations to universities which provide teacher training has fallen by a further 5%.
Responsibility for the allocations rest with the Liberal-Democrat Schools Minister David Laws although it had been hoped that the new Education Secretary, Conservative MP Nicky Morgan would seek to stabilise the system.
Pam Tatlow, Chief Executive of the university think-tank million+ said:
“The School Direct programme consistently under-recruits and trainee teacher places were handed back by schools this year. Ideology seems to have prevailed over common sense and it beggars belief that School Direct has now been allocated even more numbers.
“However over 43,000 teacher training places have been allocated by NCTL even though the organisation has admitted that only 29,787 trainee teachers are required in 2015-16. This seems like a get out of jail card in anticipation of another year of under-recruitment by School Direct but it is no way to plan for the high quality and sustainable teacher workforce that schools and students will need in the future”.
