UEA to boost physics teacher numbers

Steve DownesThe University of East Anglia is hoping to boost the number of physics teachers coming into the profession with a new recruitment initiative.Steve Downes

The University of East Anglia is hoping to boost the number of physics teachers coming into the profession with a new recruitment initiative.

Working in partnership with the Institute of Physics (IOP), the university has been selected to take part in the Marketing Initiative for Teacher Recruitment (MITRE) project, which aims to help teacher training providers increase the numbers they admit to their PGCE courses.

New marketing initiatives are being developed in a bid to increase recruitment of physics teachers for the 2010/11 academic year and beyond.

Despite national media campaigns, incentive schemes and initiatives by the Training Development Agency for Schools (TDA), there is still a significant shortfall in recruitment of physics teachers. This is set to get worse as increasing numbers of teachers are approaching retirement.

Prof Nigel Norris, head of UEA's school of education and lifelong learning, said: 'We are one of the leading teacher training institutions in the UK and strongly support the need to increase the number of physics teachers coming into the profession.

'We are enthusiastic about science education and teaching physics provides both a sense of achievement and the chance to open up new horizons to young minds.'

For more information about training to become a teacher at UEA visit www.uea.ac.uk/edu or call 01603 592855.