Evangeline's Story

Evangeline, 26, from Guildford in the South East, wanted to become a secondary school teacher in a subject facing critical shortages. Despite having the qualifications and passion, she found herself blocked when teacher training bursaries for her subject were slashed. The Department for Education had set national recruitment targets that ignored regional disparities like those in the South East, while HM Treasury's spending rules forced departments to compete for fixed pots of money. The classrooms existed, qualified graduates were ready to teach, but Westminster chose not to fund the connection. This episode explores how central government spending decisions create artificial scarcity in education, leaving both aspiring teachers and schools without the resources they need. Blocked Britain investigates systemic barriers to opportunity across the UK. Contains discussion of employment challenges.