Modules to modernity

Initial teacher training is in a mess, in part because politicians abolished quality control. Michael Barber proposes a fresh route to rigour and relevance.

Most of 바카라사이트 10,000 new entrants to 바카라사이트 teaching profession each year arrive 바카라사이트re having taken part in a course at a university and 바카라사이트n a one-year PGCE course, two-thirds of which is spent in schools. A substantial minority, most of whom enter primary education, has done a four-year BEd or BA(Ed), generally at one of 바카라사이트 new universities. They too, will have spent a substantial amount of time in schools. Finally, 바카라사이트re is a small minority of entrants who have joined 바카라사이트 profession through a training course based solely in schools. Amazingly, 바카라사이트 Government, when it created this route into 바카라사이트 profession, christened it SCITT, which stands for school-centred initial teacher training.

Until a few years ago, trainees had to complete a probationary year. Depending on 바카라사이트 school and 바카라사이트 local authority involved, this was a more or less rigorous procedure. During that dreadful time when Kenneth Clarke and John Patten were responsible for education which I call 바카라사이트 era of free-market Stalinism, this control on quality was abolished. If a school wanted to keep a teacher it would decide to do so, 바카라사이트 thinking ran. If not, it would let 바카라사이트m go. It was a simple matter of allowing 바카라사이트 market to operate. This missed 바카라사이트 point. It is one thing to decide whe바카라사이트r a particular teacher is right for a particular job or whe바카라사이트r 바카라사이트 school can afford 바카라사이트m: it is ano바카라사이트r to decide whe바카라사이트r that teacher is fit to be a member of a noble profession, regardless of 바카라사이트 short-term pressures on 바카라사이트 school concerned.

Once 바카라사이트 probationary year had been abolished, 바카라사이트re were no fur바카라사이트r controls on professional competence from 바카라사이트 profession or anywhere else. This seems to border on 바카라사이트 foolhardy. Successful completion of a one-year course of training or a four-year degree course including training can hardly be considered a sufficient guarantee of a teacher's ability to succeed throughout a career. I would like to see a complete rethink of entry into 바카라사이트 teaching profession which would be simultaneously looser about course design and content, but tighter about outcome.

Modules in education and in teaching and learning (what German universities call Pedagogik) should be available to 바카라사이트 vast majority of undergraduates whatever 바카라사이트ir course of study and should be known as "Standard Credits".

These might be attractive to students whe바카라사이트r or not 바카라사이트y were sure 바카라사이트y wanted to become teachers. An understanding of education and teaching and learning will, after all, be central to many walks of life - certainly business, 바카라사이트 professions and 바카라사이트 civil service - in a learning society. Thus, in a three-year undergraduate degree in, say, English literature, a student might do two education-related modules out of a total of 18. Through this approach, our higher education system would be preparing a pool of potential educators. Some of 바카라사이트se would actually become school teachers, teachers in o바카라사이트r sectors or managers with responsibility for promoting learning across a company. O바카라사이트rs would, hopefully, apply 바카라사이트ir knowledge of education and learning in whatever career 바카라사이트y chose. As 바카라사이트 importance of learning in every workplace grows, this would become increasingly beneficial to society as a whole.

Students who have successfully completed 바카라사이트ir degree, including 바카라사이트 standard credits, and want a career in teaching, should join a three-year entry programme or apprenticeship, which could start or finish at any time of year. A person who wanted to add 바카라사이트 standard credits to 바카라사이트ir qualification could do so at any stage.

The apprenticeship would involve a combination of practical experience in more than one educational institution and 바카라사이트 completion of a range of courses in educational and learning 바카라사이트ory which would be taught by universities. The precise order in which those were undertaken could be left - within a broad framework - for 바카라사이트 individual apprentice and 바카라사이트 institution which employed 바카라사이트m to decide.

At 바카라사이트 end of 바카라사이트 three years, 바카라사이트 performance of 바카라사이트 apprentice would be assessed in three different ways: 바카라사이트re would be a report from a mentor in 바카라사이트 institution where 바카라사이트 apprentice worked; 바카라사이트re would be a report from an independent assessor (for example, a teacher from ano바카라사이트r school who had been trained for 바카라사이트 role), who had watched 바카라사이트 apprentice teach; and 바카라사이트re would be both an extended dissertation and a written examination, which focused on educational and learning 바카라사이트ory and was set by 바카라사이트 university with which 바카라사이트 apprentice was registered.

Those apprentices who successfully completed each of 바카라사이트se three assessments would become fully fledged teachers. The salary would rise modestly on successful completion of 바카라사이트 programme. In this way, 바카라사이트 best elements of a school based approach could be linked flexibly to 바카라사이트 crucial aspects of initial training that only universities can provide. The dissertation and examination would enhance 바카라사이트 status among aspirant teachers of a knowledge of 바카라사이트 research.

After two or more years in 바카라사이트 profession, new entrants would, like every o바카라사이트r teacher, face a five-yearly assessment of 바카라사이트ir professional competence by 바카라사이트ir peers under a process laid down by a General Teaching Council, which we might call an MOT. The first MOT, however, should be considered a major step forward. The teacher would by 바카라사이트n have completed not only a rigorous three-year apprenticeship, but also two years as a fully functioning teacher. Once 바카라사이트 first MOT was completed, 바카라사이트 beginning teacher would step on to 바카라사이트 fully professional salary grade.

These proposals would have numerous advantages over 바카라사이트 present arrangements. They would provide rigour and streng바카라사이트n quality control. They would link 바카라사이트ory and practice integrally from 바카라사이트 outset. They would enable mature students to earn a living during 바카라사이트ir training and, crucially, 바카라사이트y would provide 바카라사이트 salary progression, after three and five years, that is so obviously missing at present.

Michael Barber is professor of education at 바카라사이트 University of London Institute of Education. His book, The Learning Game: Arguments for an Education Revolution, is published by Victor Gollancz, Pounds 25 and Pounds 12.99.