Industry News
Teachers criticised in new report
Posted on 9th July 2007
The teaching profession has been accused of being in crisis, with shortages in key subjects and a lack of educational expertise.
A report from the thinktank Politeia has claimed that under half of British teachers in secondary schools are teaching the subject they studied at university, while only 45 per cent of new primary school tutors have two good A-levels.
Written by specialists and academics, including ex-chief inspector of schools Chris Woodhead, Politeia has blamed government policies for focusing on increasing teacher numbers with no due regard for quality.
The report said "there is a crisis of recruitment which the official figures mask".
"The assessment system fails to act as a check and allows even the weakest candidates through."
But Training and Developing Agency for Schools chief executive Graham Holley has defended the profession stating: "Teachers are not only required to have a degree, they are required to pass skills tests in numeracy, literacy and information and communications technology."
However, pupils have also come under criticism after research by the Qualifications and Curriculum Authority (QCA) has found that pupils with A* to C passes at GCSE failed to pass "functional skills" tests of basic literacy and numeracy, the Sunday Telegraph reported.
The government is expected to introduce the English functional skills test in 2009 with the maths test arriving a year later.