IOP responds to trainee physics teacher bursary eligibility changes

Commenting on the news that the UK government has changed bursary eligibility for international applicants to physics teacher training, Tony McBride, IOP Director of Advocacy, said: “It is deeply disappointing the Department for Education has made this sudden decision to change the bursary eligibility for international applicants to physics teacher training in the middle of the recruitment cycle.

“This last-minute change leaves many candidates in limbo, and all the hard work that providers had done to put support in place for their international student teachers is being undone.

“The implementation of the changes to bursary eligibility has been flawed from the outset, with little account seemingly taken of the huge increase in applications which teacher training providers have had to deal with or the challenges faced by international student teachers, including securing visas after qualifying.

“Meanwhile England continues to face a national shortage of physics teachers. Instead of unpredictable piecemeal reforms we need positive action that works for recruits, training providers and schools, as part of a holistic approach to recruitment, alongside retention and retraining, as the IOP has consistently argued since the publication of our report last year.”

More information on how this change could affect teacher scholarships