WIREDGOV

The Institute for Learning (IfL) has published its response to the government’s consultation on revoking the 2007 further education workforce regulations covering continuing professional development (CPD), registration and teachers’ qualifications. IfL’s report drew on the findings of an in-depth, online consultation with teachers and trainers across the diverse further education and skills sector, to which more than 5,300 IfL members responded during April and May 2012.

Key findings from the survey included:

• 87 per cent of respondents agreed or strongly agreed that teaching qualifications should be mandatory on a national basis.
• 80 per cent thought that removing the national requirement for teaching qualifications would deprofessionalise the sector.
• The largest group of respondents supported a minimum level qualification being set at level 5, rather than at other higher or lower levels.
• 76 per cent agreed that teachers and trainers in FE should hold GCSE maths and English, or equivalent.
• 92 per cent supported an entitlement to CPD for teachers and trainers in FE, regardless of where in the sector they work.
• 78 per cent said that a register of teachers and trainers protected the reputation of the sector, and 75 per cent said that a register was important to protect learners and the public, and give them confidence.
• 59 per cent were either satisfied or extremely satisfied that the 2007 regulations had achieved progress towards the aim of enhancing professionalism and ensuring a more consistent approach to CPD across the sector.
• Just over half felt regulations should be kept, with stronger support for the regulations relating to initial teacher qualifications being retained.

Toni Fazaeli, chief executive of IfL, said, “We believe that our FE system’s national and international reputation will be best served by the state committing to a fully trained teaching and training workforce.

“This is not the time to be stepping back from initial teacher education. Ofsted’s strong focus on teaching and learning means that every teacher or trainer being excellent is more important than ever. IfL works to support individual teachers and trainers in their practice.

“Thousands of IfL members, working in a diverse range of provider environments – including adult and community learning, FE colleges, work-based learning, the armed services, voluntary and community learning, sixth-form colleges, public services and offender learning – share the view that revoking the 2007 regulations relating to initial teacher education is not the right thing for the government to do. And the qualitative evidence collected as part of this consultation shows the unequivocal benefits and value attached to initial teacher education in enabling young and adult learners to receive high-quality teaching and training.

“As part of the government’s strategy to improve the teaching of literacy and numeracy, FE teachers and trainers should have access to relevant CPD opportunities, and we strongly believe that specialist initial teacher training qualifications for literacy, numeracy and Esol (English for speakers of other languages) should continue to be mandatory.

“IfL has offered the independent review of professionalism in further education meetings with teaching practitioners to help with the next stage of its work, especially in relation to reviewing initial teacher training qualifications and ways to enhance professional status and recognition.

“We urge those who will influence decisions about the regulations and professionalism in further education to listen to the considered views of the experienced teachers and trainers, whose daily work helps transform lives and develop the skills our economy clearly needs.”

Click here to download IfL’s response to the Department for Business, Innovation and Skills (BIS) consultation on recommendations to remove the 2007 regulations (PDF 585KB).