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ATL comment on Teacher Training Report from the Children, Schools and Families Select Committee
9 February 2010
Dr Mary Bousted, Association of Teachers and Lecturers (ATL) general secretary, said:
"The report addresses all the right issues and comes to many laudable conclusions.
"ATL has joined with Edge Hill University to give its members access to discounted professional development so fully supports the need for this to be an everyday part of teachers' work, and welcomes the committee's endorsement and stress on the development of the mentor role.
"The committee is right to call for the Ofsted straightjacket to be removed to encourage more innovation at teacher training institutions. It is important that any changes to teacher training do not forget that teachers need both theoretical knowledge about how children learn and develop as well as practical teaching skills to be effective.
"It is a shame the report does not make it clear that, although there is always room for improvement, today's new teachers are widely recognised as the best there have ever been in their ability to teach high quality lessons.
"By concentrating on entry qualifications for student teachers the committee ignores the trend for career changers, who have a wealth of skills and knowledge more valuable than exam results, to go into teaching."
Notes to editors
The Association of Teachers and Lecturers (ATL) is an independent, registered trade union and professional association, representing approximately 160,000 teachers, headteachers, lecturers and support staff in maintained and independent nurseries, schools, sixth form, tertiary and further education colleges in the United Kingdom.
ATL exists to help members, as their careers develop, through first rate research, advice, information and legal advice.
ATL is affiliated to the Trades Union Congress (TUC), Irish Congress of Trade Unions (ICTU), European Trade Union Committee for Education (ETUCE) and Education International (EI). ATL is not affiliated to any political party and seeks to work constructively with all the main political parties.