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2005:44 R

The first three years of the new teacher-training scheme

This report is a statistical study of the students beginning the new teacher-training scheme from the autumn semester of 2001 until the autumn semester of 2004. Altogether about 50,000 students have begun teacher training since the new scheme was introduced in the autumn of 2001. Of these about 40 per cent opted for specialisation in the early years of schooling (i.e. pre-school, induction classes, after-school centres and the first years of primary education). About another 40 per cent opted for specialisation for the more advanced classes (the upper levels of primary education and the upper-secondary school). About 20 per cent opted for programmes aimed at all levels of education. These proportions vary somewhat from semester to semester. Many of the students who initially opted for programmes aimed at all levels of education, which also includes those who postponed selection, went on after a few semesters to focus on the early years.

There is still a gender imbalance in teacher training programmes and only one beginner in four is a man. This imbalance is particularly marked in programmes focusing on the early years. The new teacher-training scheme has therefore not led to any evening out of the gender balance compared to earlier schemes.

Just over 90 per cent of those beginning teacher training programmes continue to the second semester, and more than 80 per cent remain during the third semester. The retention rate is somewhat lower for students who initially opted for the later years.

Among students opting for the later years, the social subjects specialisation is the one most frequently chosen. About one-quarter of the students have opted for this. The second most frequent is Swedish. There are some gender differences. For men the social subjects are most usual, followed by physical education and health. For women, on the other hand, Swedish is the most frequently chosen subject followed by the social subjects.

The appendices to the report contain both a detailed description of the way in which the statistics have been calculated and also tables to supplement the analytical sections.

Swedish National Agency for Higher Education  Visting address: Luntmakargatan 13  Box 7851, 103 99 Stockholm
Phone: 08-563 085 00  Fax: 08-563 085 50  Email: hsv@hsv.se