Million Plus

The university think-tank million+ has responded to the White Paper ‘Educational Excellence Everywhere’ which was published by the Department for Education today (17 March).

Pam Tatlow, Chief Executive of the university think-tank million+ said:

“The litmus test is whether the White Paper will lead to greater resilience in teacher supply and retention. The reforms since 2011 have led to much greater volatility and undermined the role of universities in teacher education.

“The acknowledgment that universities are an important part of the landscape is long overdue but the Department for Education must consult with universities about any measures to judge the quality of providers. Discussions about the teaching excellence framework have revealed that many metrics are proxy measures for quality and not fit for purpose. It is therefore very important that prejudices about the quality of institutions based on historical reputation do not infect the debate that needs to be had as to how universities are defined.

“There are merits in ensuring that the bridge between initial teacher training and early professional development is strengthened but universities cannot be taken out of the QTS equation without causing real problems in terms of quality assurance. What is fascinating about this White Paper is that it is completely silent on the role of the teacher educator and that sets England apart from the rest of the world.”

ENDS

Notes to Editors

1. For further information or to arrange an interview, contact Dan Blows on 020 7717 1658 | 07527 336795 or press@millionplus.ac.uk
2. million+ is a leading university think-tank. More information can be found at www.millionplus.ac.uk
3. The White Paper Educational Excellence Everywhere can be downloaded from the Department of Education website