TRAINEE teachers in the south west are having problems in finding primary school posts, according to colleges.
The situation is so bad that vacancies are attracting more than 100 applications from newly qualified teachers eager to get a foothold in the profession.
Experts believe the result will be a period of teacher unemployment alongside short fixed-term contracts for those who do manage to secure posts. Only a third of students on the teacher training course at Bath Spa College have managed to find positions so far this year, while last year's figure was two thirds.
Falling school rolls are believed to be part of the cause of the problem the number of primary pupils in England is expected to drop by 60,000.
But last year the government's Teacher Training Agency increased its target for primary teacher trainees. It claims there are around 790 vacancies still waiting to be filled. although many are in London and the South East.
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