PGCE applicants shoot up at 11th hour

Applications for the PGCE teaching qualification have rocketed for courses starting this autumn, according to a leading newspaper.

The subject area that has seen the biggest surge in interest is physics, the Times Educational Supplement reported.

According to the newspaper, bleak forecasts from experts earlier this year stated that the number of PGCE applicants would be particularly low, especially in subjects perceived to be more difficult, such as maths and science.

Applications for maths PGCEs, which were lagging behind at 15% less than last year, caught up quickly by the beginning of August when they were only 3.2% behind.

Spokesperson for Education Data Surveys, Professor John Howson, commented: 'I think now that graduates who were holding out for jobs in the commercial sector are realising there are fewer opportunities and are turning to teaching as a safer option.'

America has also seen a significant rise in interest in teaching this year, as the Teach America programme reported a 37% increase in applications on last year.