ALMOST 5,500 more teacher training places are to be created over the next three years, with a massive expansion of in-school schemes.
Places on the graduate teacher programme, which pays pound;13,000 towards trainees’ salaries while training in the classroom, will increase from 3,400 to around 6,000 by 20045.
Places on conventional university and school-based courses will also rise by 3,000 to 34,675 over the same period. Primary places will increase by 1,200 to 15,200 next year.
Secondary gets an extra 1,685 slots, but providers will struggle to fill them especially in the shortage subjects. Despite a record-breaking 31,261 students starting teacher-training courses this year, Government targets for maths, science, and languages, as well as design and technology, music and religious education were not reached.
