Last updated at 09:11, Thursday, 15 April 2010

EASTER is the traditional time when major teacher unions gather for their annual conferences. This year these will be just after the 2010 Budget and just before the General Election.

Everyone interested in education will be looking at these two events with greater interest than usual. It is inevitable that a new Government will want to do things differently, but before new requirements are placed on an already over-burdened education service a commitment to repeal old ones would be most welcome.

Since budget cuts look inevitable, top of my wish list is an improvement in the quality of policy making. Consultations flood out of the DCSF, DBIS and their agencies at up to one a day; there is too much shoddy legislation; and too many ill-thought out – often short-lived – initiatives. All political parties would do well to keep at the forefront of their minds, the late Michael Foot’s mantra: “Describe the challenges by all means, but don’t confuse analysis with action. The one must lead to the other if it is to be useful to people”.

Political parties have daft ideas. One of Labour’s is to push schools into sharing heads as a way of saving money. One of the Conservative’s is the commitment to the Swedish model of schooling when the evidence is that it doesn’t work well in Sweden and will make even less difference in the UK. And having first-class degrees does not mean that teachers will be able to spell-bind their students. To suggest as the Conservatives do, that there is a correlation between degree class and potential for teaching and that someone with a third-class degree is incapable of teaching well is fallacious. Of course, we all want excellent teachers across all sectors of education, but whilst being confident in subject knowledge is necessary it is not sufficient. Being an excellent teacher is about much more than subject knowledge. Some of the most talented teachers make their journey into the profession via a circuitous path and experience outside education. Qualities such as patience, creativity, setting clear and consistent boundaries, excellent classroom management, an enjoyment in being with young people, and the willingness to go the extra mile all contribute to being an outstanding teacher.

Any drive to attract the brightest graduates into teaching is, in principle, a good one but drawing on the richest sources of people who can inspire young people must be best.

First published at 15:42, Wednesday, 14 April 2010
Published by http://www.cumberlandnews.co.uk