New teacher training locations for Wales unveiled

Changes to where student teachers will be able to train in future have been announced.

There are currently three teacher training centres run by universities on their own or in partnerships.

But institutions have had to apply to be accredited as part of a revamp of teacher training from September 2019.

A partnership between Bangor University and the University of Chester is among the successful bids, but the University of South Wales (USW) misses out.

Currently five institutions offer teacher training in Wales:

• Aberystwyth and Bangor universities in partnership as the North and Mid Wales Centre

• Cardiff Metropolitan University and the University of South Wales jointly in the South East Wales Centre

• The University of Wales, Trinity St David

But the new criteria has asked for a greater emphasis on research and more collaboration with schools.

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The aim is to boost the quality of teacher training, and thereby raise standards and the status of teaching as a profession.

The overhaul follows a report three years ago which said the quality of teacher education had "deteriorated" over the previous decade and called for higher standards and more consistency.

Education Secretary Kirsty Williams visiting a CaBan event in Bangor earlier this year

How it will look from September 2019

Four bids from universities in partnership with schools and other institutions have been accredited:

• Yr Athrofa at the University of Wales Trinity St David

• CaBan (including Bangor University and the University of Chester)

• Aberystwyth University

• Cardiff Metropolitan University.

But bids from Swansea University and the USW, which currently offers teacher training at its Newport campus, were unsuccessful.

The USW said it would be appealing and would challenge both the "process and the decision".

It said the blueprint for the new curriculum had "raised the bar" for teachers.

The latest figures on registrations for teacher training places for 2017-18 showed that take-up for secondary education places was 40% short of the target.

Figures from the Higher Education Funding Council for Wales showed 512 registrations, substantially short of the government target of 871.

It follows significant under-recruitment in previous years and claims the situation is "bordering on a crisis".

Education Secretary Kirsty Williams said significant progress in reforming the system had been made in a short space of time.

"Our national mission to raise standards, reduce the attainment gap, and deliver an education system that is a source of national pride, can only be fulfilled if we have high quality, well-qualified teachers," she said.