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Future Challenges Figure 1
Undergraduate Programmes Offered and Graduate Numbers as of 2015
Constrained by the fluctuating demand for teachers
and consequent student quota, the Faculty of
Education is confronted by a few challenges at the
undergraduate level.

Attractiveness of undergraduate
teacher education programmes

Teacher education programmes are not attractive
to secondary graduates these days. Teaching as
a profession is demanding and increasingly so as
the ecology of the education sector has changed
and the backgrounds of students have diversified.
Secondly, the decreasing demand for school places
due to a decline in birth rate and other social
factors has adversely affected job security. Doing
a five-year degree might be daunting to 17-year-
old secondary school graduates. When teacher
education programmes are no longer popular, the
more capable students tend to turn to more attractive
choices.
Fluctuation in student quota

As student quota for education is manpower tied,
the Faculty has little room to manoeuvre regarding
programme size and long term planning. With the
triennium planning model, it is understandable
that the government will be more cautious when
determining student quota for 5-year programmes
than that for a 1-year PGDE programme.
Figure 2
Curriculum design Number and percentage of students registered at Faculty of Education (2014-2015)
Number and Percentage of Students Registered at
Faculty of Education (2014-15)
Preparation of beginning teachers will require
increase in breadth and depth of knowledge and
skills as the student population diversifies both Undergraduate ndergraduate ndergraduate
U U
PGDE DE DE
PG
culturally and linguistically and new curriculum and PG Programmes
P
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assessment issues arise. Extending and expanding
the curriculum of teacher education programmes to 591 (22%)
prepare teachers adequately will continue to be a 947 (35.3%)
great challenge.
In the years that follow, the Faculty of Education 1145 (42.7%)
will continue to make an impact in education by
offering quality programmes, research and support
to schools.
Higher Degree gher Degree gher Degree
Hi Hi
Programmes
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Programmesrogrammes