Graduates flock into maths and science

New figures show record numbers of candidates, with applications for science up by 40 per cent on last year and maths up by 33 per cent, according to the Training and Development Agency for Schools.

More women than men are keen to teach the subjects, while recruiters have noticed a surge in inquiries from people hoping to switch careers as the recession affects jobs and prospects in other fields.

The data, provided by the Graduate Teacher Training Registry, shows there were 1,047 maths applicants last year, of which there were 528 women and 519 men.

This year, a total of 1,390 candidates have applied – 714 women and 676 men.

For science, 2009 saw 1,435 applicants, made up of 862 women and 573 men, compared with 2,014 candidates this year, of which 1,214 were women and 800 were men.

But the TDA said more graduates with good degrees were needed as around 6,000 science and maths teachers were required each year.

Frances Wing, head of physics at Nonsuch High School for Girls in Cheam, Surrey, has a first class honours degree in physics and believes her knowledge of the subject has helped to develop her skills in the classroom.

She said: "Making the move into teaching was one of the best decisions of my life.

"I've progressed to be head of physics in just a few years and hope to rise further as I become more experienced.

"It's great to see that there is a rise in people wanting to teach maths and science given how vital these subjects are in giving future generations the skills they need to succeed."

Luke Graham, head of recruitment at the TDA, said: "We continue to see a growing interest in teaching as a career – not just from graduates looking for their first job but from people switching from other careers.

"Over the last 18 months of the recession, many people have re-evaluated what they're looking for in their careers and teaching has compared favourably."