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23rd January 2013

Shortage of Information Technology teachers threatens as training applications down nearly 60%

Syscap say dedicated technology recruiting drive would help with transformation of curriculum

A shortage of Information Technology teachers could be looming as applications for training courses to teach the subject have fallen by 58.4%, says Syscap, a leading independent finance provider to the education sector.

The latest figures show that applications to the Graduate Teacher Training Registry (GTTR) for training courses to teach Information Technology have fallen far further than the total number of applications for secondary school teacher training courses.

Just 71 applications have been received so far this year to train to become an Information Technology teacher, accounting for only 0.6% of all applications for secondary school teaching courses.  The total number of secondary school teacher training course applications received so far this year was 12,913, down by 11.5% on January 2011. 

Syscap points out that since the GTTR does not impose a hard deadline for secondary school teacher training applications, there is still time for IT and computing graduates to apply for teaching courses starting in September.

Syscap says that changes in the Government's policy on the teaching of IT and technology in schools may be encouraging some prospective teachers to take a wait-and-see approach to their applications.

Philip White, Chief Executive of Syscap says: "The Government announced a major overhaul of IT teaching in schools last year.  That could be making computing graduates hesitate to apply for teacher training courses until they know more about the future shape of computing in schools."

"In fact there has perhaps never been a more important time for new IT graduates to join the profession, as the Government is abandoning a rigid central curriculum with the aim of helping the teaching of computing keep pace with technology changes and with industry demands."

"A new computing graduate with up-to-date skills and knowledge could have the scope to re-shape the way that the subject is taught from day one in the job."

Syscap points out that well-publicised bursaries to train to teach certain subjects, for example 100 scholarships of £20,000 for physics graduates, have had a positive effect on applications to several individual subjects.  Applications for training courses to teach languages, chemistry and physics are all up this year compared to last, by as much as 25.9% for languages. 

Philip White adds: "Big initiatives such as advertising campaigns and bursaries for graduates in key subjects seem to have had a very positive impact on recruitment to individual subjects, so it is disappointing to see Information Technology attract so few applicants this year."

"But with applications still open, there is still time for that to change.  It would be great to see a major drive from the Department of Education to promote and fund the teaching of computing in schools and encourage an influx of new blood into the profession to reinvigorate the subject."