Labour to explain teacher licensing

http://www.theguardian.com/education/2014/jan/15/labour-to-explain-teacher-licensing

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Tristram Hunt is to outline on Wednesday how Labour would ensure teachers in all state schools are fully qualified to improve the quality of eduction if the party is returned to office.

In a speech, the shadow education secretary is due to say that the current government's policy of allowing unqualified individuals to teach in academies and free schools will be scrapped.

Under Labour there would be new career routes for teachers allowing them to specialise in a certain subject or in teaching skills, and more chances for professional development.

Hunt is to tell the North of England Education Conference in Nottingham: "Reform of teaching is part of a wider story about how Labour will build a one-nation economy so that we can earn our way out of the cost-of-living crisis. We can only do that if we raise standards so our teaching is world class in every school – rejecting David Cameron's policy of allowing unqualified teachers into our classrooms.

"We have the best generation of teachers ever in our schools. But too many children are still denied the high-quality teaching they deserve. We need to keep improving if we are to deliver for every child and to keep pace. My priority as education secretary in the next Labour government would be to make sure we have the best generation of teachers in the world – a highly qualified, inspiring, self-motivating and dedicated professional workforce.

"International evidence is clear: the quality of teaching – not an obsessive focus on the type of school – is what drives up standards. David Cameron and Michael Gove have watered down standards, allowing unqualified teachers into schools on a permanent basis.

"Under Labour all teachers will have to become qualified, teachers will be given greater opportunities to further their career progression and development and, as in other high status professions, teachers will be regularly revalidated."

Hunt's speech comes after Labour announced plans to introduce licences for teachers, saying that regular checks would help give the profession a similar standing to doctors and lawyers. A similar proposal was floated by the previous Labour government and branded "classroom MoTs" by the then schools secretary, Ed Balls.It was opposed by some teaching unions and dropped before the 2010 general election.

Christine Blower, general secretary of the National Union of Teachers (NUT), said: "It is certainly reassuring to hear that the Labour party is committed to every teacher in state-funded schools having qualified teacher status. We also welcome the recognition that it is teachers and not the type of school which deliver a good education for children and young people."

Dr Mary Bousted, general secretary of the Association of Teachers and Lecturers (ATL), said: "We are pleased Tristram Hunt wants to restore the professional standing of teachers. It's a welcome contrast to Michael Gove believing that anyone with a first-class degree, a bit of personality and a loud voice can be a good teacher, and with the government's default position of blaming teachers whenever education policy goes wrong.

"However, we are disappointed that Tristram Hunt's proposals for a licence to teach are linked to sacking teachers who are under-performing."

The Conservative party has said it is already taking steps to improve teaching quality, such as allowing heads to remove unsuitable teachers from the classroom in a term, scrapping the three-hour limit on classroom observations, expanding training and allowing heads to pay better teachers more.

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