The number of people starting university teacher training programmes has increased again, according to new figures from the umbrella organisation Universities of the Netherlands (UNL). Enrolments for the past academic year were 13.5 percent higher than the year before. UNL says this is the second year in a row with a “substantial increase”, following several years of decline.
Primary education teacher training saw a 12.9 percent rise, with 568 new enrolments. Secondary education programmes registered 2,029 new enrolments. The strongest growth was in one‑year master’s programmes, where intake rose by 21.5 percent.
Given the ongoing teacher shortage, the rise is “very good news”, says UNL Chair Caspar van den Berg. He notes that universities have expanded their programme offerings and invested heavily in raising awareness of university teacher training. “We are now reaping the benefits of that,” he says.
@ANP | News Brainport
