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DCSF cuts 'will reverse teacher training progress'
09 March 2010
A leading union for education professionals has criticised the Department of Children, Schools and Families' (DCSF) plan to cut teacher training bursaries.
Dr Mary Bousted, general secretary of the Association of Teachers and Lecturers (ATL), has claimed reducing incentives for trainee teachers would reverse the progress made in recent years in increasing the number of people applying to enter the profession.
She commented: "Using the recession-generated increase in teacher training applicants as an excuse to cut bursaries for those wanting to teach some shortage subjects is like dismantling the roof when the weather is fine.
"When the weather gets bad, the roof will have to be built again from scratch."
However, she added that the union does support plans to reduce the amount of money the Department spends on employing external consultants to investigate education issues.
Dr Bousted said: "We heartily endorse the decision to cut back on DCSF consultants; it's about time the government stopped lining consultants' pockets."