Teachers have to complete an induction year

NUT Cymru says the lack of permanent posts in Wales means many new teachers feel demoralised and even misled into joining the profession.

Secretary Gethin Lewis claims many have no hope of finding a job in Wales.

The Welsh Assembly Government says it is looking at how the needs of teachers and schools can be met.

Mr Lewis said the present situation, where the assembly government paid for teachers to train in Wales only for them to graduate without available posts, was "unacceptable".

"The result is a very large number of demoralised young people who feel that they have been misled into taking a teaching qualification because when they start looking for a first teaching post, the jobs are just not there," he said.

Newly-qualified teachers have to complete an induction before they are classed as fully-qualified.

However, according to Mr Lewis, many end up doing supply work for short periods which does not count towards the teacher's induction within the maximum allowed time of four terms.

He said: "NUT Cymru proposes that the Welsh Assembly Government should, as a matter of urgency, consider guaranteeing newly qualified teachers trained in Wales a teaching post so that they can complete their statutory induction year."

A little more than a quarter of those trained in Wales for primary school teaching have succeeded in getting contracts to work in a primary schoo Gethin Lewis, NUT Cymru

He added it was unlikely those who did not get a contract within a short period of finishing their courses would be able to become teachers.

It represented a "considerable loss of investment" for the assembly government. "The reality is that in the current academic year a little more than a quarter of those trained in Wales for primary school teaching have succeeded in getting contracts to work in a primary school," he said.

Research by the union suggested only 28% of those completing primary teaching courses in 2003 got contracts in primary schools, while half of secondary teachers got jobs at that level.

Mr Lewis added: "We fear the situation in September 2004 is worse."

Review

The union thinks a guaranteed job for teaching graduates would represent good business practice by the assembly government.

"It would be getting a proper return for the money it had invested in initial teacher training," Mr Lewis concluded.

A spokeswoman for the assembly government said: "The Minister for Education and Lifelong Learning, Jane Davidson, has already announced that a full review of initial teacher training provision will be instituted in the autumn.

"Issues of substance and detail will be examined.