Petition PGCE bursary changes are unfair and need to be reconsidered!

The withdrawal of 2011 PGCE bursaries for the majority of students makes the PGCE financially difficult and for some even impossible. The Government argued that these bursaries were no longer necessary as there’s not a low intake of trainee teachers and it encouraged people to undertake the training but never enter the classroom. The Government has announced plans to reintroduce bursaries for the 2012 cohort and onwards. The Department for Education, in response to an email I sent, stated that the reason for this is the increased tuition fee however students receive a higher tuition fee loan to cover this and so the bursary is not needed for that reason! To penalise just one cohort of students is completely ridiculous and unfair. If this consultation document is approved and these plans go forward then I propose that the Government MUST consider how to further financially support the 2011 PGCE students who, despite no bursary, were still wanting to do a PGCE because they want to teach.