The Children, Schools and Families Select Committee's report on the Training of Teachers
The College of Teachers welcomes the conclusions and recommendations of the Children, Schools and Families Select Committee's report on the Training of Teachers published on 9 February.
Initial training
The College firmly supports the recommendation that entry to the teaching profession must not only be more academically rigorous but also easier for experienced experts to join teaching from other professions.
Licence to practise
The licence to practise is itself fundamental to public trust in professionals working in medicine, dentistry, social care and other key professions. A similar licence to practise for teachers will be a significant step forward in the way teaching professionals are regarded by the public and those working in the profession.
Professional development
The College of Teachers applauds the Select Committee's recognition that teachers need to maintain their development at masters level, a conclusion that encompasses The College's chartered professional qualifications alongside university short and full courses and other provision.
As the chartered body representing the status and development of the teaching profession, The College has campaigned for a wider remit for chartered status in teaching for a number of years. Therefore The College of Teachers is fully supportive of the clear recommendation to develop an overarching framework for career progression that establishes a gold standard of chartered status in line with other professions.
The College of Teachers has proudly administered, accredited and supported the development of the Chartered London Teacher initiative since its inception in 2004, an initiative that now supports the ongoing development of 42,000 London teachers, with over 6,000 teachers having met the standards since 2006. It is testament to the success of this initiative that about 100 teachers register to work towards the status every month and this year an estimated 1,200 teachers are expected to meet the required standards.
The College of Teachers also accredits the provision of the Teacher Learning Academy and would urge the Select Committee to consider this as a formal route to achieving chartered status for those professionals wishing to take a professional portfolio route.
The College of Teachers has long cautioned about the potential dilution of chartered status in education resulting from unregulated provision, both for the loss of opportunity for those who may benefit from it, and for the assurance of the public who have a right to expect an approach in line with other professions. As the chartered body for teaching, The College looks forward to supporting subject associations, the General Teaching Council and TDA in strengthening current quality assurance procedures and widening access to all.
