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Physics education is at breaking point in Wales due to a lack of teachers, yet training bursaries are \u00a314,000 higher across the border in England, a committee heard.<\/p>\n
Eluned Parrott, head of Wales at the Institute of Physics, warned Wales had fewer physics-trained teachers (174) than secondary schools (205) in 2024.<\/p>\n
She told the Senedd\u2019s education committee no one measure is going to be a silver bullet but evidence shows teacher training incentives work.<\/p>\n
\u201cThat\u2019s why we\u2019re calling on the Welsh Government to increase our physics teacher trainee bursary from \u00a315,000 to match England\u2019s \u00a329,000,\u201d she said.<\/p>\n
\u201cWe need a bold reset to recruit, retain and retrain the next generation of physics specialists to help secure the future of physics in Welsh schools.\u201d<\/p>\n
Systemic challenges<\/strong><\/p>\n Ms Parrott, a former politician, said only seven specialist physics teachers qualified through Wales\u2019 initial teacher education (ITE) system from an intake of 10 in 2023\/24.<\/p>\n She said: \u201cThe intake allocation target was 67, meaning the intake fell 86% short\u2026. The intake allocation target has since been increased to 72. It is unlikely to be reached.\u201d<\/p>\n Warning of systemic challenges, Ms Parrott expressed concerns about investment in Welsh ITE compared with centres in other parts of the UK.<\/p>\n Contrasting the two, she told the committee: \u201cYou could go to study in an ITE centre that has a full-time professional and professorial level of ITE tuition or you could go to somewhere else where they\u2019re struggling to recruit part-time tutors to help you.\u201d<\/p>\n Ms Parrott, a former Liberal Democrat member of the then-Assembly, suggested setting up a centre of excellence for science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM).<\/p>\n Unicorns<\/strong><\/p>\n She explained: \u201cIt is important to have ITE centres spread out across the country but \u2013 rather than spreading that expertise \u2013 maybe create something that is robust, academically respected, driving improvements across ITE.\u201d<\/p>\n Ms Parrott said: \u201cI think there\u2019s also an equity issue here with the bursaries and what that means because you cannot realistically live on the bursary that you would get in Wales.<\/p>\n \u201cSo, if you come from a less wealthy background, it is a major financial choice to take on another year of study and take on another year of student debt and another year of living a hand-to-mouth existence.\u201d<\/p>\n She warned teacher shortages are far worse through the medium of Welsh \u2013 describing Welsh-speaking, physics-trained teachers as like unicorns.<\/p>\n Ms Parrott told Senedd members: \u201cObviously, a lot of Welsh students do their undergraduate study in England. We need to be attracting them back because they\u2019ve got, potentially, a Welsh-language skill that they are therefore not using.\u201d<\/p>\n Way off the mark<\/strong><\/p>\n Annette Farrell warned Wales is \u201cway off the mark\u201d for chemistry too, with seven passing their postgraduate certificate in education (PGCE) in 2023\/24 against a target of 67.<\/p>\n The Royal Society of Chemistry expert warned financial barriers are a big issue, with cross-border differences on incentives making training an unviable option for some.<\/p>\n \u201cIf you compare the English bursary system to Wales,\u201d said Ms Farrell. \u201cOnce you\u2019ve taken account of\u2026 fees and everything, Welsh students next year will only take home \u00a32,465. If you compare that with England\u2026 that\u2019s \u00a319,465.\u201d<\/p>\n She lamented the loss of Bangor\u2019s chemistry provision, with only centres in Cardiff and Swansea, creating a \u201cmassive cold spot in the north\u201d.<\/p>\n Ms Farrell emphasised the need to look at the financial sustainability of higher education more generally and address workload issues for teachers.<\/p>\n Huge burden<\/strong><\/p>\n She raised concerns about possible unintended consequences from plans to scrap separate science GCSEs in favour of separate teaching but a double-award qualification.<\/p>\n Shabana Brightley, from the Royal Society of Biology, echoed her colleagues\u2019 comments as the trio gave evidence on 18 June to a wider inquiry on teacher recruitment and retention.<\/p>\n \u201cBased on the bursaries in England and all the incentives they get\u2026they would rather go across the border to go and get trained,\u201d she said.<\/p>\n Ms Brightley, a former primary and secondary school teacher, told the committee: \u201cEarly career support is very important, especially having subject-specific mentors in schools.\u201d<\/p>\n She warned: \u201cLet\u2019s say a biology teacher is then having to teach physics and chemistry, which they\u2019ve maybe not done since GCSE \u2013 that is a huge burden.\u201d<\/p>\n By Chris Haines, ICNN Senedd reporter<\/p>\n Spotted something? Got a story? Send a Facebook Message<\/a> | A direct message on Twitter<\/a> | Email: [email\u00a0protected]<\/a><\/strong> \t \t\t\t\t\t <\/p>\n Latest News<\/strong> <\/p>\n \t\t Join our no-spam low volume email list:<\/b><\/p>\n Get notified about
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