The government cannot make up its mind up. First, it’s about ‘professionalising’ teachers: forcing standards such as meeting Qualified Teacher Status (QTS) (oh, and making it to the end of your Newly Qualified Teacher (NQT) year alive), and THEN it’s about joining the more draconian professional body the General Teaching Council of England. Or, in the case of Further Education (where QTS and the NQT year not a prerequisite), and pursuits dubbed “Lifelong Learning”, the Institute for Learning (IfL). Now it’s about shortening teacher training.
Bureaucracy aside, what the hell is the UK government playing at?! Seriously, do they think that teaching is like being in an episode of Waterloo Road?
As both teacher and as a student during my PGCE year, I’ve been on both sides of teaching and learning. I have experienced top-quality education – albeit rushed in some respects (seriously, a 5,000 word assignment at Masters Level on top of the lesson and damage limitation planning?!). I’ve observed wonderful lecturers (who’ve got enough on their plates without having to cram one year’s worth of quality information and training into a measly six months). These tutors are not only catering to my small PGCE crew; they’re also organising and delivering training to the Primary, Secondary and In-service trainee teachers. Seriously, that’s gotta be over a 40-hour working week! Can you then imagine the pressure of additional work in developing – and delivering – training for a six-month programme? This is to people who’re tempted by the profession for other reasons than “changing young people’s lives” such as: long holidays, incremental pay (although not necessarily in FE), safe-ish job security, and a ‘change from being a banker’.
These new recruits could then drop out after a couple of years. A recent straw poll on the Association of Teachers and Lecturers website, New2Teaching suggests that the bulk of teacher trainees intend to “Be a teacher for at least a couple of years at least and then we’ll see.”.
I realise that the training is a means to an end for some. For example, I know that I want to work in community education. Preferably working in a non-hierarchal way with people who want to learn, or skill-share, or participate in a popular education workshop. And I’m an education and political philosophy geek to boot (teachers as action researchers = love).
Six months training is a stupid idea; I think it’s best summed up by some comments from the teaching unions:
- “Once again the [Department for Children, Schools and Families (DCSF)] has been inconsistent with their policy-making, it seems to be a ‘hit and miss’ approach, where on the one hand they believe teaching should be an all-Masters profession, and on the other you have a scheme such as this where you can become a teacher within six months.” (Dr Mary Bousted, ATL)
- “In reality there are no shortcuts to being an effective teacher. The same ground, to the same depth, will need to be covered in six months as in the longer courses. It will be highly intensive and such hot-housing will not appeal to everyone.” (Chris Keates, NASUWT)
- “Teaching is not a profession that can be picked up at the drop of a hat. There needs to be the time for reflection and the capacity to undertake in-depth theoretical study. To bring in an entry route that does not provide a good grounding in theory will not only undermine the status of the profession but will also jeopardise the education of our children and young people.” (Christine Blower, NUT)
- “This is not about quality. It’s about grabbing headlines about job creation in a recession.” (Philip Parkin, Voice)
That said, I’d love to watch an ex-city slicker attempting to teach maths in a crammed room of 35 disillusioned fourteen year olds. Actually, they’re more than welcome to take my Key Skills Communications learners!
GirlWideWeb
