Lib Dems bursary pledge ‘inefficient’ use of ‘scarce resources’

Plans by the Liberal Democrats to expand teacher recruitment bursaries to all trainees would be “inefficient” and use “scarce resources” on subjects such as PE and history that have long over-recruited, experts said.

In their manifesto, the party said it would “[fund] teacher training properly so that all trainee posts in school are paid”.

The Lib Dems told Schools Week that this would mean introducing bursaries for all trainees who do not currently receive one or a salary. In 2022-23, this would have affected 14,000 trainees. 

If the new payment for these trainees was set at the same level as the lowest bursary currently paid – £10,000 – it would cost £140 million. 

That would constitute a huge expansion, with just under £200 million spent on all bursaries this year.

Currently, bursaries are targeted at shortage subjects such as maths and physics, which under-recruit. However, the Lib Dem policy would see bursaries paid for subjects such as PE and history, which over-recruit.

‘Inefficiently designed’

Jack Worth, school workforce lead at the National Foundation for Educational Research, welcomed the Lib Dem pledge of a teacher workforce strategy.

But he warned that the bursary expansion policy “seems inefficiently designed to deal with the nature of the current challenges”.

He added: “Increasing incentive payments for trainees in subjects that do not currently attract either a training salary or bursary risks having a negligible impact on improving the supply of STEM and other shortage subjects that are in greatest need. 

“Meanwhile, it could use up scarce resource on subjects such as PE and history that tend to already be well supplied.”

A Lib Dem spokesperson said the Conservatives “have badly let our children down”.

“They have missed their own recruitment targets year after year and are driving tens of thousands of young teachers out of the profession, leaving millions of children to be taught by someone who isn’t an expert in their subject.

“Our proposals to tackle this issue include creating a teacher workforce strategy as well as reforming the School Teachers’ Review Body. These changes, alongside our fully-funded commitment to ensure that all trainee posts in school are paid, will boost both recruitment and retention of teachers.”

You can read our write-up on the Lib Dems’ manifesto schools pledges, here.