Most UK teachers not qualified in 'specialist' subject

London, June 4 : A new survey has revealed that most secondary school teachers in the UK do not have a degree in their own subject.

According to the Government-funded survey of 14,000 staff in 330 schools, a total of 57 per cent have not qualified in their 'specialist' topic at university, with four in ten just having an A-level.

The study showed that a quarter of maths teachers and more than a fifth of English teachers do not have subject degrees.

And the number of lessons taught by less-qualified staff has risen over the past five years.

However, the study insisted that more teachers would have degrees in their subjects in future, as young people are more likely to go on to higher education.

Schools Minister Jim Knight said that a salary hike means that it would no longer be hard to attract enough qualified staff.

"The lack of maths and science graduates is not a problem unique to teaching," The Sun quoted him, as saying.

"Even with these challenges, 90 per cent of science teachers have a post-A-level qualification.

"Of course there is more to do. We need to continue our successful recruitment drives," he added.

However, Mary Bousted, general secretary of the Association of Teachers and Lecturers, said that degrees were not the most important part of teaching.

"Teachers need a good understanding of learning, assessment and individual needs, and skills to offer the best learning experiences for all pupils," she said.

ANI