Money to tempt the best graduates to teach in Wales

FINANCIAL incentives of up to £20,000 are on offer to get the best graduates training to teach in Wales.

The Welsh Government wants more graduates with first-class honours degrees to join the teaching profession and hopes the training grants will encourage high-achievers to consider a career in the classroom.

In recent years Wales’ education system has been rocked by poor performance in the OECD’s Pisa league tables. In December, Wales performed below the average of 72 countries when it came to maths, reading and science, and was behind every other UK nation.

Education Secretary Kirsty Williams wants to make the education system a source of “national pride” and is adamant that this involves bringing the “very best” into teaching.

Graduates with a first-class degree in chemistry, mathematics, physics and Welsh may qualify for the top award of £20,000. If they have a 2.1 they may be awarded £10,000. If they have a 2.2 they may qualify for £6,000.

Incentives are also available for aspiring teachers with other areas of expertise. Those with a first in modern foreign languages or computer science may get £15,000. This falls to £6,000 if they have a 2.1.

Training grants of £3,000 are available for first class degreeholders to study postgraduate secondary courses in design and technology, English, biology, history, religious education, art, physical education, music, drama, business studies, outdoor studies, general science or geography.

Higher levels of support in a range of subjects are available for top graduates in England, where bursaries of £30,000 are on offer for people with a first-class degree in physics; those with a 2.1 or a 2.2 can each hope to receive £25,000. Scholarships of up to £27,500 are also available in England for chemistry, computing, geography, languages and maths graduates.

However, the Welsh Government considers it has a more generous system of student support overall when help for undergraduates is considered.

Education Secretary Ms Williams said: “To create an education system that is a source of national pride, we must attract the very best to the teaching profession.

“While teacher vacancy rates in Wales are comparatively low, it is important that we attract graduates with specialist knowledge of our priority subjects, such as maths, physics, and computer science. These incentives will help do just that.

“Alongside our reforms to initial teacher education, professional standards and professional learning, these incentives will help to raise the standard of teaching in Wales as part of our national mission of education reform.”

The Welsh Government said the latest figures show there has been a 3.9% increase in postgraduate teacher training applications and a 2% increase in acceptances in Wales. Training grants of £3,000 are available for postgraduate primary courses for people with a first class degree.

There is an additional £3,000 supplement for those with a first who have a degree subject specialism of English, Welsh, maths, physics or chemistry.