Over 550 vacant places at teacher training programs

students graduates from secondary school higher education High SchoolsHigh School Students. Photo: pixabay.com

While 367 applicants for the teacher training programs have been rejected after having failed on a controversial preliminary course in mathematics in summer , there are over 554 vacant  places in the teacher training programs in Norway .

These figures have been made public by the Education Association and are based on figures they have got from the Coordinated Admission this week.
Education Association leader Steffen Handal describes the situation as unfathomable.

– These are students who meet the admissions requirements of an average 3 in their grades, many of them with a good margin, and who want to start on a teacher training program, but who are not able to do so, while we have vacant spaces at the program, teacher shortage and an increasing use of unqualified teachers in Norwegian school,  Handal says  to the news agency NTB.

Handal said the 554 vacant places are estimated to cost society 50 million kroner.

– In addition, the government has spent 10 million kroner on a preparatory course in mathematics where 75 percent didn’t pass, he said.

Blames math requirements
The Union believes the large number of vacant places is mainly due to the controversial  requirement of a grade of 4 in mathematics, which Minister Torbjørn Røe Isaksen (H) introduced to the teacher training program in the fall.

Handal points out that places had been set aside in the summer  for the 367 pre-course students who had failed to raise their grade from 3 to 4 .
The Minister says it is out of the question to reduce or remove the grade requirement.

 

Source: NTB scanpix / Norway Today