Report
Who should train the teachers?
24 Jun 2013
In March 2013, the university think-tank million+ convened a roundtable in the House of Commons to discuss the impact of the Department for Education’s School Direct programme on teacher education in England. School Direct is seeking to refocus teacher education on schools but concerns have arisen about the impact and implications of the programme for teacher supply. The roundtable attracted over 30 participants including MPs, members of the House of Lords, Headteachers, representatives from Teach First and university education departments.
Throughout the roundtable session all contributors emphasised that there was no policy or political objection to the direction of travel of the changes to ITT provision across the country. Indeed, all contributors want the changes to work, for the benefit of schools, universities, trainees and ultimately future generations of young people who will be taught by the next generation of teachers.
In conclusion the issues crystallised into an overriding concern about the pace of change from which the other issues highlighted within this report flowed. The roundtable reiterated its desire to see the three Es applied (evidence, evaluation, evolution)and called on the Education Select Committee to convene a Short Inquiry to investigate the impact of School Direct on the future sustainability of teacher supply in England.
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