The matter in summary: UiT Norway’s Arctic University has removed the admission requirements for teacher studies in order to attract more students. The university had set aside 445 study places for new student teachers this autumn, but only 233 students applied for the start of their studies. In the lecturer training courses, 61 per cent of the places on the lecturer’s course in languages and social studies and 88 per cent of the places on the lecturer’s course in science are empty. UiT hopes that decentralized and online study offers, as well as dialogue with the students themselves, can help increase the number of students. Measures to increase the number of applicants have already been initiated, including the removal of previous admission requirements. UiT believes that part of the reason for the student shortage is due to the reputation of the teaching profession and is working to improve this. The summary is made by an AI service from OpenAI. The content is quality assured by news’s journalists before publication. – It is actually very fun to be a teacher. It’s probably tough, but so are most professions anyway. This is what Silje Heløe Kjær-Olsen, shop steward and student teacher in his fifth year at UiT – Norway’s Arctic University, tells news. Silje Heløe Kjær-Olsen is a trustee for the student teachers at UiT. Photo: Mathias Sommerseth Kjellmo / news In recent years, the number of students who are offered to start a teacher training program has fallen sharply. Therefore, UiT decided, in the hope of attracting more students, to remove the admission requirements for the teacher’s course. The result? 212 out of 445 study places are vacant, of which one of the studies can boast nine out of ten study places are empty. – We have to do something about the status of being a teacher, she says. Both study program manager Kari-Anne Sæther and union representative Silje Helø Kjær-Olsen want more student teachers in Tromsø. Photo: Sveinung Åsali / news Nine out of ten vacant places The worst was for lecturer in science (master’s), where as many as 22 out of 25, i.e. 88 per cent of the places, were empty at the start of studies, according to Utdanningsnytt. Even if the lecturer’s education only has three students this year, the offer must be maintained. – For the time being, we have no plans to remove any educational offers. This is an educational offer that is very important for the schools in the region, and the teachers society needs, says Jens Breivik, assistant head of department at UiT’s teacher training. The lowest vacancy rate is for the master’s program to become a primary school teacher, where 36 per cent of the places were empty this autumn. – We have the same challenges here in Tromsø as we have nationally. And we see that it has worsened after the pandemic, says study program manager for primary school teacher training in Tromsø, Kari-Anne Sæther. At UiT, some teacher training programs only have three students. Photo: Ingvild Vik / news Like the associate degree program in science, the associate degree program in languages and social studies also struggles to attract students. At the start of studies this autumn, 61 per cent of study places were still empty, after only 39 students started the education. – We want more students here at Campus Tromsø as well. The more students we have, the more opportunities for subject choice. Sæther hopes that decentralized and online study offers, as well as dialogue with the students themselves, can help. She says that the university will now start its own work to look at primary school teacher training. Education of the future Several measures have already been initiated to increase the number of applicants – among other things, the previous admission requirements have been removed. This has meant that the teacher’s studies now require general study competence. Trustee Silje Helø Kjær-Olsen says that this has given the university a slight boost. – But we have to get started properly now, and I actually think we have to get the funds to do it. Things cost money, she says. When looking at other ways of organizing primary school teacher training, the university wants to take the lead in this work. – We have already started to look at how to create the future primary school teacher training in Tromsø, says Jens Breivik, assistant head of department at UiT’s teacher training. – What does it do to the study environment that the course is not so popular anymore? – We want more students, and more students provide a better study environment, he believes. Assistant head of department for teacher education, Jens Breivik, wants UiT to lead the way with future teacher education. Photo: Sveinung Åsali / news Everyone has to pull the load He himself thinks the facilities and teachers at the study are good. – And the students who are here are very good students. Part of the reason for the lack of students at UiT, Breivik believes, is due to the reputation of the teaching profession. – It is also an international phenomenon. Much of the explanation is the reputation and the teacher’s everyday life. Fewer and fewer people want to become teachers, and the number of applicants continues to fall. Photo: Berit Roald / NTB He believes it is important that the challenges and problems come to light, so that they can be addressed. – Whose responsibility is it to reverse that trend and create a better reputation? – We have to do that as a team. We who train teachers, the school authorities and the teachers themselves. And the media must help, says Breivik. Published 24.10.2024, at 08.03 Updated 24.10.2024, at 08.09
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Half of the study places are empty at UiT Tromsø – news Troms and Finnmark
