EDUCATION courses offered by Aberystwyth University are not producing teachers of a high-enough quality, a highly-critical inspectors’ report has found.

An Estyn inspection of the North and Mid Wales Centre for Teacher Education and Training School Of Education – a joint venture between Aberystwyth and Bangor universities – found “significant shortcomings” in the way trainee teachers are prepared for life in schools.

Tutors of the course have been slammed for “not conveying accurate subject knowledge when teaching” leading to “trainees in these sessions having misconceptions and inaccurate information,” and, in a few university sessions, “tutors not identifying basic errors in subject knowledge made by trainees.”

“In a minority of cases, tutors do not identify well enough trainees’ inaccuracies in spelling and grammar,” the report added.

Around 190 trainees follow the failing PGCE Secondary programme, with around half of that number studying in Aberystwyth.

The damning report found: “Overall, the assessment of trainees’ standards and the feedback given to trainees are not effective enough to enable trainees to make good progress,” the report concluded.

A joint university statement said: “The centre is disappointed by some of the specific judgements in the report and has developed and implemented a new strategic vision and action plan in response to the recommendations made by Estyn.

“A new management structure has been put in place, which includes representatives from the centre’s partner schools.

Professor Malcolm Thomas, director of the centre said: “We have accepted the Estyn report and have taken the necessary steps to address the issues raised.

“The situation has improved significantly since the inspection and students can be confident that the training they receive is of a high standard.”