Initial teacher education without a bursary: what is the cost for student teachers?

The funding of Initial Teacher Training (ITT) in England has undergone significant change with the introduction of tuition fees of up to £9250 (UCAS, 2017). Training bursaries are available for some secondary school student teachers on the Postgraduate Certificate in Education course, but the amount provided is dependent on the subject specialized in, as well as the level of highest qualification achieved by the candidate. Some student teachers are not eligible for a training bursary under any circumstances including those wishing to teach citizenship, social science, drama and business studies, despite low recruitment levels in these areas. Thirty-three trainee teachers on PGCE Citizenship or Social Science courses across four English universities completed an online survey devised by the researcher in 2016. Respondents reported significant financial difficulties during their studies and many believed that these impacted negatively on their health. The implications of these findings for the recruitment and quality of all student teachers, in both England and beyond, is discussed.