More than 700,000 GCSE students without specialist physics teachers as government urged to address shortage
Government issued warning over specialist teacher shortage
- The Institute of Physics (IOP) has called for urgent action to address a significant shortage of specialist physics teachers in UK schools.
- Over 700,000 GCSE physics students could be without a specialist teacher, with an estimated 58 per cent of physics lessons taught by non-specialists.
- Students without access to specialist physics teachers are considerably less likely to pursue the subject at A-level, a trend more prevalent in disadvantaged areas.
- The IOP proposes a 10-year plan requiring an annual investment of £12 million to tackle the recruitment and retention crisis in physics teaching.
- The Department for Education states it is increasing teacher numbers, offering bursaries for STEM subjects, and has implemented pay awards to retain staff.