Million Plus

A recognised global teacher recruitment and retention crisis has led to the creation of a new qualification which aims to stablise a significant threat to international education systems.

As a key member of the Department for Education’s (DfE) Expert Working Group, Professor Lynne McKenna, Dean of the Faculty of Education and Society at the University of Sunderland, has worked with colleagues in both the UK and overseas to develop a new internationally recognised qualification – iQTS (International Qualified Teacher Status).

The qualification is built on evidence-based English methods and standards of teacher training, with consideration of the wide variety of settings trainees may be in. It is intended to provide opportunities for accredited English Initial Teacher Training (ITT) providers to expand into the growing international teacher training market and make high-quality training accessible around the world.

The University of Sunderland has been one of the iQTS pilot providers. Professor McKenna says: “There is a recognised recruitment and retention crisis internationally in teaching. The supply of qualified teachers continues to be unstable, which poses a significant threat to global education systems.

Read more here.