Commenting on the report that more people are applying to train as a teacher, the Shadow Minister for Education, Suzy Davies MS, said:
“Of course l welcome this good news after years of decline and badly-missed targets for teacher training. I hope some of the applications come from parents who have been supervising their children’s education during lockdown and have an inkling of how rewarding teaching could be.
“Perhaps others will be motivated by the shortage of opportunities elsewhere during the COVID-19 pandemic.
“We Welsh Conservatives have been consistently warning, long before the pandemic struck, that the Welsh Labour-led Government needed to implement changes in our system to address missed government targets for recruiting trainee teachers.
“One of the Welsh Labour-led Government’s biggest priorities needs to be both attracting as well as retaining teachers.
“That means creating new routes to teaching, such as through degree apprenticeships. It means more straightforward accreditation for qualified teachers from outside Wales. It means more money and more control for school leaders so that they can afford to train and retain professional staff.
“Welsh Government needs to find out why numbers have gone up and hope it’s not just a response to the pandemic.”
ENDS