The number of new teachers in Wales has risen by a quarter compared with last year, according to data published today by the EWC.
The figures show that 1,231 trainees gained Qualified Teacher Status this July through initial teacher education programmes compared with 975 in 2020. This represents the highest annual number of new teachers in Wales since 2015.
As well as an overall increase in numbers, there was a year on year rise of 49% in newly qualified secondary school teachers, with core subjects such as mathematics, science and languages all seeing improvements on previous years.
EWC Chief Executive, Hayden Llewellyn said:
“We are seeing a renewed interest in teaching as a career in Wales. Wales launched new teacher education programmes in 2019 which compare with the very best in the world. They ensure that anyone wanting to train in Wales will receive an excellent grounding to begin a rewarding career.
Last year, Wales also launched its own part-time and salaried teacher training programmes run by the Open University. These programmes will further add to the number of new of teachers in Wales in coming years.”