Applications have risen by 65 per cent during Covid crisis, figures show
Applications for teacher training have risen significantly since the beginning of lockdown, a new analysis of figures from the university admissions network Ucas shows.
More than 21,000 graduates applied for teacher training programmes since the nation shut down because of the new coronavirus, which amounts to a 65 per cent rise on the five year average.
From the middle of June to mid-July, the number of applications was up 91 per cent compared to the same period last year.
Experts at the Education Policy Institute (EPI) who produced the analysis have predicted that applications will continue rising until the course deadlines in September.
“The pandemic has caused unparalleled disruption to every area of education. However, there appears to be a silver lining in the form of a big boost to the teaching profession in England, said Joshua Fullard, senior researcher at the EPI.
Gavin Williamson, the education secretary for England, said: “Teaching has always been an attractive career, but it’s good to see a continued surge in the number of people looking to enter the classroom.”
However, Nansi Ellis, assistant general secretary of the National Education Union, said trainees who qualified during the lockdown were struggling to find positions for the next school year, as turnover is lower among current teachers.