Policy for Teacher Education

Radical government reforms to shift teacher training away from universities and focus it in schools could be 'fraught with difficulty', a leading expert will warn today.

James Noble-Rogers, executive director of the Universities Council for the Education of Teachers (UCET), will tell delegates at a conference organised by UCU that proposed plans to replace teacher training courses at universities with apprenticeships in schools could pose problems for the future of teacher training. Noble-Rogers will highlight the fact that many schools are already working in successful partnerships with universities.

The seminar comes after education secretary, Michael Gove, hinted at a proposal to move away from the current system which sees trainees split their time between theoretical work in university and practical experience in schools. Instead, he suggested that initial teaching training for primary and secondary levels be concentrated in schools.

Mr Noble-Rogers will explore the myriad advantages of the current system of teacher training, and highlight figures that show OFSTED rates the quality of some 85% of teacher training as being either 'good' or 'outstanding', while every year, 85% of trainees rate their training as 'good' or 'very good'.

He will tell delegates: 'Any wholesale shift of funding from existing teacher training providers to schools could be fraught with difficulty. Many schools are already reluctant, or unable, to take part in teacher training programmes. Would they be forced to train their own? If they did not, where would they recruit their teachers from?

'And many schools that are involved in teacher education welcome the relationship that they have with universities, and would not want to have lead responsibility (and presumably accountability) foisted upon them. The current link between funding and the quality of teacher training would also be lost.'

UCU general secretary, Sally Hunt, said: 'Contrary to Mr Gove's assertion that teaching is a 'craft' learned through simple observation of others at work, there is much theory and research behind the profession. Our members in teacher training departments in colleges and universities have a breadth of expertise and experience which would be lost in this crazy reform along with hundreds of jobs.'
Dan Ashley
press@ucu.org.uk