Million Plus

MillionPlus, the Association for Modern Universities, has today (10 June) commented on the Public Accounts Committee’s Training New Teachers report.

Pam Tatlow, Chief Executive of MillionPlus, said:

“Nothing in the Public Accounts Committee report will come as a surprise to universities or head teachers. As MPs point out, the Government’s teacher education reforms lack an evidence base and were never piloted or properly evaluated and have contributed to the deepening crisis in training, recruitment and retention.

“This crisis is the direct result of the abolition of the Training Development Agency by Michael Gove in 2011. As a result teacher education and workforce planning were brought into the Department for Education and became subject to direct Ministerial control and intervention.

“The Education White Paper: Educational Excellence Everywhere makes crystal clear that Education Ministers have learned nothing from the last five years and remain intent on pressing ahead with a programme that will erode the professional qualification framework of teachers and further undermine the role of universities in teacher education, professional development and school improvement.

“With highly critical reports from the National Audit Office and now the Public Accounts Committee, the Prime Minister must take a personal interest in this and put on hold reforms that risk increasing teacher shortage, undermining the professional resilience of teachers and weakening the workforce planning that is the bedrock of ensuring that schools can recruit the high quality teachers that they need.”

ENDS

Notes to editors

1. MillionPlus is the Association for Modern Universities. More information can be found at www.millionplus.ac.uk
2. For further information or to arrange an interview, please contact Dan Blows on 020 7717 1658 or email press@millionplus.ac.uk
3. The Public Accounts Committee’s Third Report – Training New Teachers is available here