Teach First pulls out of fast-track bid

A CONTROVERSIAL teachertraining charity has pulled out of the race to win a £250,000 Scottish Government tender for a new fast-track course.

Teach First is understood to have raised concerns that the project deadline is too short to develop the programme it wants.

It had previously been in talks with First Minister Nicola Sturgeon and her deputy, John Swinney, the Education Secretary, over a bid. Teach First has notified the Scottish Government of its decision.

A key stumbling block for a bid had been the difficulty Teach First faced in finding a Scottish university partner.

The contract stipulated that any successful applicant had to work with a university partner, but institutions agreed unanimously not to work with it.

The Government said: “We are aware of the letter sent by Teach First and a response will be issued in due course.

“We anticipate a number of parties will be interested in bringing forward proposals that aim to improve teacher recruitment, especially around hard-to-fill subjects and geographical areas.”