20,000 trainee teachers fail maths test
Around 20,000 trainee teachers have had to retake numeracy tests, according to figures released in a parliamentary answer.
The figures also reveal the average number of attempts made to pass the exam has shot up by 16 per cent since 2001.
“As the number of applicants being accepted on to teaching courses rises, we need to be sure that this isn’t being coupled with a decline in standards,” commented David Laws, Liberal Democrat schools spokesman.
“For far too long, teaching has simply not been an occupation of choice for many graduates,” he continued.
“The existing minimum qualifications for people wanting to become teachers are too low.”
