NAO to launch investigation into teacher training
It will consider if the system is providing ‘value for money’, if the Department for Education (DfE) has effective oversight, and whether it is providing a sufficient number of quality teachers.
The system for teacher training has shifted dramatically since 2010, with move away from university led courses to more school based training, such as School Direct. Each year roughly 35,000 people start teacher training courses, but there are growing fears of a teacher shortage, as the government has repeatedly failed to hit recruitment targets, with teacher training applications dropping nine per cent from last year.
The NAO said its research will examine: “If the system for training new teachers produces sufficient numbers of new teachers of the right quality for schools; and if the department has effective oversight of the market for training new teachers.”
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