Unqualified teacher plan riles expert
The Government’s decision to allow academy schools to hire unqualified teachers was last night condemned by a leading education expert who said the move was “regrettable”.
The plan “flies in the face of evidence nationally and internationally”, according to Professor Chris Husbands, director of the Institute of Education at the University of London.
It also contradicts the Government’s own White Paper, setting out its aims for England’s schools system, which says that best education systems around the world train their teachers rigorously from the start, he added.
Ministers announced last week that in future, academies can hire staff who are experts in their field who have not taught in state schools before and do not have qualified teacher status (QTS).
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They argued that it would allow these schools to hire professionals who are experts in their field, such as scientists, engineers, musicians and linguists who may not have QTS.
But the move was met with anger from teaching unions – many of whom are disgruntled with what they believe is the radicalism of education secretary Michael Gove – who insisted that all children should be taught by qualified teachers.
In a blogpost yesterday, Prof Husbands cited the 2010 White Paper called The Importance of Teaching which says international evidence shows that “the most important factor in determining the effectiveness of a school system is the quality of its teachers”.
“The best education systems draw their teachers from the most academically able, and select them carefully to ensure that they are taking only those people who combine the right personal and intellectual qualities. These systems train their teachers rigorously at the outset.”
Prof Husbands concludes: “The decision to remove the requirement that those teaching in (publicly funded) academy schools should have qualified teacher status flies in the face of evidence nationally and internationally.”
Internationally, there is strong evidence that the status of teaching is related to the quality and status of initial teaching training, he argues, and in England, partly due to recent reforms, this training is “rigorous, relevant and of high quality”.
“There is simply no research evidence at all to suppose that lowering the bar and recruiting significant numbers of unqualified teachers will do anything other than lower standards,” Prof Husbands writes.
Calling on ministers to reverse the move, Prof Husbands adds: “The Government’s decision is at the very least regrettable. It will do nothing to raise standards and nothing to enhance the status of teaching as a profession.”
Comments
by airhellair
Thursday, August 02 2012, 10:21AM
“Just have to say I see both sides. Should never diminish those who choose teaching as a profession. It is vital to have skilled people.
Having said that, I have taught in HE, FE and Secondary schools. I volunteered at primary schools, helping with craft and design and on a rail safety project in association with British Transport Police. I haven't got QTS. I have, I hope, a reasonable level of communications skills and can relate to these age groups. I continue to be responsible for interns. It 's mutually rewarding.”
by AbandonShip
Thursday, August 02 2012, 10:16AM
“"Jesus got by without any teaching qualifications"
That's the point, good and inspirational teachers tend to be born, not made (or begotten in the above example).
My own experience of higher education (and I have some experience of mentoring lecturers) is that training can make a poor teacher competent, but it just can't make a poor teacher into a really good one. In other words, you either have it or you don't. The key is to get those who have it into teaching, whether or not they have ticked the right boxes.
All the other stuff is just political guff by the teaching unions who oppose anything on the basis that it has been said by a conservative/someone from the right of the labour party.
Listening to the teaching unions is the best way to ensure that education in this country continues to decline.”
by VikingX
Thursday, August 02 2012, 9:23AM
“Being an 'expert' in any subject does not naturally make you a great teacher all by itself.
I would guess that a good physics teacher would be better at telling the kids about splitting the atom that for instance Niels Bohr himself could have done. Conversely Richard Feynman would probably have been brilliant: knowledge of the subject matter itself does not say anything about an ability to teach.
But hey, these unqualified teachers could be cheaper to employ for free market entrepreneurs, thus generating higher profits. Prime motives and sufficient reason for Michael Gove.”
by lamail
Thursday, August 02 2012, 8:44AM
“Professor Husbands sounds like a pompous twit.Specialists without QTS have been hired for years to teach languges,music,drama,science ,business etc.Surprisingly having QTS doesnt make you an expert on everything.Horses for courses!”
by MoeXXX
Wednesday, August 01 2012, 11:27PM
“Presumably, in Gove's irrevocably deluded little mind, qualifications are just more red tape that gets in the way of the free jobs market and hinders the Tory grand plan to make the UK the laughing stock of the world.
But worry not. Every school now has a copy the Book of Truth. Jesus got by without any teaching qualifications; so can we.”
by Viscount_V
Wednesday, August 01 2012, 10:17PM
“I'm beginning to get the impression that Michael Gove absolutely detests teachers, he has belittled, disrespected and undermined them at every turn.”