Design and technology teacher 'crisis'

D&T Association says shortage of technology teachers is chronic

Britain is killing its 'golden goose' of a recovering manufacturing sector by failing to address a chronic shortage in design and technology teachers, the Design & Technology Association has warned.

Richard Green, chief executive of the association, said Britain was failing to address a serious shortfall in qualified D&T teachers, and thereby damaging the prospects of more youngsters entering engineering.

In the week that the Department for Business, Innovation and Skills held its manufacturing summit in Liverpool, he said: “D&T is where engineering takes place in the curriculum. Furthermore, for many pupils, D&T is the route into technology and engineering careers because it engages them in creative, practically-based Stem problem-solving activities as part of the curriculum – unlike maths and physics. Regardless, there is a very real danger that, in the very near future, some schools will simply not be able to teach design and technology.”

Green said that design and technology had the “worst shortfall in recruitment” for initial teacher training of any subject. He said: “For the school year 2013/2014, just 48% of the allocated training places were filled. This does not bode well for schools being able to fill teaching vacancies in September 2014 when the new National Curriculum programmes of study are to be taught for the first time.

“It should be concerning to all of us that D&T subject remains on the ‘endangered’ list, and at times is both chronically undervalued, and widely misunderstood. Urgent action is required to inspire new teachers into D&T, while providing them with the training they need to stay up to date with this constantly evolving subject.”

• Look out for guest comment from Richard Green in the July edition of Professional Engineering