Uni targets for teacher training places set

MORE than 1,600 students can be enrolled for initial teacher education training in Wales next year, universities have been told.

The overall sector primary and secondary intake target numbers remain unchanged from 2017/18.

The Welsh Government has set a total target number of 1,621 broken down to a 750 training for primary education and 871 for secondary education.

A total of 300 in the primary intake should be for graduates and 450 postgraduates, a circular going to universities from the Higher Education Funding Council Wales says.

For secondary, the target is for 86 graduate and 785 post graduates undertaking ITE training.

Priority subjects at secondary are listed as maths, chemistry, physics, modern foreign languages, Welsh and computer studies for which there is a target intake of 313 students.

For other secondary school subjects – design and technology, English, geography, biology, general/integrated science, music, religious education, history, PE, art, business studies, dance, drama and outdoor activities – the target intake is 472.

In a letter to David Blaney, chief executive of HEFCW, Gemma Nye, head of Initial Teacher for the Welsh Government, outlines changes in pupil numbers and applications for teaching posts.

Average applications for primary posts have been decreasing year-on-year since 2010, her letter says.

The average number of primary applications peaked at 26.0 in 2010 falling to 14.1 in 2016. Average number of applications for English-medium primary posts was 18.4 in 2016 compared with 6.8 for Welsh-medium primary posts.

Applications for secondary posts have been decreasing yearon-year since 2011.

The average number of secondary applications peaked at 14.8 in 2011, falling to 8.4 in 2016. The average number of applications for English-medium secondary posts was 9.5 in 2016 compared with 3.1 for Welsh-medium secondary posts.

Latest projections suggest numbers of primary pupils will fall then rise with the opposite happening at secondary level.

Forecasts suggest that from a high in 2018-19 of 265,852 primary pupils the numbers will then begin to decrease until 2024/25.

A drop of 8,817 primary pupils is forecast during this period until 2025/26 pupil when numbers will start to increase.

Meanwhile secondary pupil numbers are expected to rise by 18,361 between 2018-19 and 2024-25.

After this, the number of secondary pupils is expected to begin decreasing from this high point of 201,011 pupils.