More than £8 million invested to tackle teacher shortages in NI

More than £8 million is to be invested to tackle teacher shortages across Northern Ireland, Education Minister Paul Givan has announced.

The Initial Teacher Education Bursary Scheme – Transform Ed – is an initiative to attract graduates into teaching by offering financial incentives for Initial Teacher Training (ITT) courses in specific, high-need subjects.

The minister introduced the scheme at Stranmillis University College in Belfast on Tuesday.

He said: “Transform Ed is my blueprint to transform the education system in Northern Ireland.

“The scheme will offer 132 places across six different subjects over the next four years, including maths, physics, chemistry, technology and design, computing and the media, which are in high demand in the private sector.

“I’m trying to incentivise people who want to come into education. And thankfully, there are many people who do think about coming into these subject areas, and therefore this bursary will help them.”

Within the scheme, undergraduates will receive £17,000 for a PGCE in order to meet their tuition fees. A further £1,000 per month is also being offered to help with living costs whilst studying.

Mr Givan said that the hope is to generate more people who are qualified teachers for undersubscribed subjects.

This has been described by the minister as a “transformation of the education system”.

Different post-primary schools across Northern Ireland were approached during the consultation stage of this initiative to determine which subjects were lacking in new teachers.

Mr Givan said: “I’ve been visiting schools, and principals have engaged with me and indicated in which subjects that they weren’t able to recruit teachers.

“They were having subjects being delivered by teachers who had not specialised in that particular subject matter, and they were raising real concerns that the pupils then weren’t getting the specialist teaching in these areas.

“We were able to map out the number of places that we ring-fenced, and also the level of financial support, and how we would be able to pay that.

“There’s an expectation that those who appeal for the bursary will be able to teach here in Northern Ireland for a minimum of two years.

“I understand some people don’t want to work elsewhere in the world, but if we’re investing in them, then obviously we need to see a return on that. We’re therefore looking at a two-year period whenever those who avail of this will be able to stay in Northern Ireland to teach.”

Jonathan Heggarty, principal and chief executive at Stranmillis University College, Belfast, said: “I hope I have permission to speak on behalf of all of the institutions that provide teachers in Northern Ireland.

“We’re very much behind this and behind Transform Ed, and we look forward then to seeing the benefits in future years of students.”