Need for science and maths school staff is 'constant'

There is "always a need" for people to train in maths and science teaching, an expert has stated.

Education recruitment is determined by the need identified by the Department for Children, Schools and Families, noted a spokesperson for the Training and Development Agency for Schools (TDA).

And with fewer people in the country with maths or science degrees, a requirement for school staff in these subjects will always exist, he added.

The official stated that the most popular route into teaching is the postgraduate certificate in education, with primary teaching proving the most popular and therefore the most competitive.

Nonetheless, there are always positions in teaching jobs available around the country, he noted.

"Each year, [schools] need to recruit around 40, 000 people into teacher training, just to make sure that there's a constant flow over time," said the spokesman.

Keith Hicks of the University of the West of England recently told the Bristol Evening Post that more people are applying for postgraduate teaching courses because they are looking for a career "less impacted" by the economic climate.

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