Teacher trainers have been told by the Department for Education’s top civil servant to stop turning away so many applicants amid “significant rejection rates”, even in shortage subjects.
But initial teacher training providers have accused ministers of “trying to wring the towel dry” by “blaming” them for the chronic recruitment and retention crisis.
Susan Acland-Hood, the DfE’s permanent secretary, told providers a 7 per cent jump in applicants this year had not led to an equivalent rise in offers for courses.
“This is concerning when we know we have need of teachers,” she wrote in a letter seen by Schools Week. “This is not explained by the subjects or phases being applied for – we are seeing significant rejection rates even for subjects we know are in shortage.”
