Teacher courses run closure risk

FOUR higher education institutions face a 50 per cent cut in their teacher training intake and possible withdrawal of accreditation under the Teacher Training Agency's new allocations system, it was revealed this week, writes Tony Tysome.

South Bank University, Sussex University, La Sainte Union College and Westhill College are bottom of five quality categories for primary teacher training. The TTA devised the categories to decide where to fund growth and where to cut. It is the first time the agency has made full use of the categories, which are based on grades awarded by Ofsted inspectors, to draw a direct link between quality assessments and funding.

Student recruitment targets for primary teacher training have been changed from a 26 per cent increase to a 6 per cent cut for the next three years. Allocations to institutions in the bottom E category were halved for next year. If they fail to improve their quality ratings after re-inspection in the coming months, the TTA may withdraw accreditation for their primary teacher training courses.

Another two institutions, Liverpool University and the University of North London, have found themselves in category D where the TTA proposes to cut target recruitment numbers by 25 per cent for next year and allocate no growth for the following two years unless quality ratings improve.

About half of the remainder are in category C, where targets are to be cut by 12 per cent over three years. That leaves 22 institutions placed in category B, where target intakes have been frozen; and just nine in category A, with a 6 per cent growth in recruitment targets over three years.

Pressure is less severe in secondary teacher training, where intake targets have been set to rise by 2 per cent over three years. Baseline recruitment targets have been cut in just two subject areas, mathematics and science, and all institutions have achieved at least a C rating. But secondary quality ratings are to be revised following review of the inspection system. Primary ratings may also be reviewed following re-inspections next term but hotly resisted. One of those due for reinspection won a 5-star research rating this week.

Anthea Millett, TTA chief executive, said that the allocations were provisional and that institutions would have until January 10 to respond. Final allocations and funding will be announced in February. "We recognise that there will be an issue for some providers. We are expecting to hear what the problems are and to see how we can help providers overcome them," she said.