TEACHER TRAINING


James Noble Rogers from the Universities Council for the


Education of Teachers discusses the challenges and uncertainties facing teacher education


O


N ONE level, everyone involved in the initial training and ongoing professional development of teachers should feel a sense of achievement. Ofsted rates the vast majority of initial teacher education (ITE) programmes as


being “good” or “outstanding”, and a similar proportion of NQTs (out of some 14,000 surveyed) report each year that their ITE programmes were either “good” or “very good”. In addition, Master’s programmes for serving


teachers, delivered in partnership between universities and schools, have been shown to have a transformational impact on the teachers themselves, the colleagues they work with and the pupils they teach. But teacher educators are certainly not relaxed. The


number of ITE places allocated by the Department for Education (DfE) has been drastically cut, leading to many high quality programmes becoming potentially unviable. Some ITE providers have seen reductions of nearly 40 per cent in their secondary training provision, which seems at odds with the government’s aim to attract more people into the profession. What’s more, these cuts are likely to be followed


by reductions in the amount of money paid to train each teacher, which will have a knock-on effect on applicants. On the CPD front, funding for the new Master’s in Teaching and Learning (MTL) has been withdrawn and the future of the highly effective, school- focused and cost-effective Postgraduate Professional Development Programme is under-review. All of this is creating unprecedented levels of uncertainty and disruption within what, by any


measures, are highly effective components of the education system. The longer term picture promises to cause even


more anxiety, although only time will tell whether it is justified. The government’s Education White Paper last year included a number of measures that could have a profound impact on teacher education. Some, like teaching schools, could be welcome if


they lead to more schools actively engaging with ITE and CPD and to new models of partnership between schools and higher education institutions. Similarly the proposal to create University Training Schools – schools run by universities to provide high quality teacher education and CPD – while sketchy, could represent a positive development. In the run-up to publication, ministers had referred


to shifting training from universities into schools, and teaching as being a craft best learnt by observing others. We welcome the fact that teaching schools will


A new era of discipline Psycho babble


JUST OVER a decade ago, my childcare practices were the subject of a BBC documentary entitled A Good Smack? I visited families who used physical punishment and showed them different ways to achieve family harmony and good behaviour. I remember being struck by the fact that not only were household rules unclear and punishments inconsistently meted out, but the children were confused about what was expected of them. Importantly, the children were never given any


real opportunity to “be good”; there was an assumption that they were difficult children and were treated thus. There was no celebration of good behaviour or positive reinforcement because only poor behaviour was noticed (and expected). With discipline in the headlines again, I can’t help but think that many students probably aren’t so very different. Whether educators are,


as the government is currently suggesting, “hiding” discipline problems from inspectors, or truly believe that trouble-makers are in the minority is neither here nor there. More teachers leave the profession because of behaviour than any other reason, which suggests a fundamental problem. I’m sure all of us welcome greater


discipline powers, however, I’m not sure that this goes far enough to address an insidious problem that affects a teacher’s ability to teach and undermines the classroom and school dynamic. Of course, kids don’t arrive in the world “bad”.


Poor parenting, neglect and a host of social problems are the catalysts for behavioural decline. It can’t help, too, that parents are often supportive of offensive behaviour – ready to take on anyone who threatens their children’s rights. What’s happening at home is undoubtedly at


the root of many problems, whether it is the result of parents who “over-nurture” (giving a child an inflated sense of his own importance) or parents who neglect to set any boundaries (creating children who have no idea of socially acceptable behaviour). As educators, there are some important lessons


that should be set in place before the nature and level of punishment is even considered. Creating and maintaining acceptable behaviour is the starting point for all schools. Going back to the smacked children, the fact that


they were never given an opportunity to be good is important. Research has shown that social rewards such as smiling, praising and complimenting are effective in increasing desirable behaviour – because they encourage kids to live up to higher expectations. Giving kids some responsibility (yes, make them a prefect or a mentor) empowers them, gives them an opportunity to achieve something and, above all, teaches them that positive behaviour not only reaps rewards, but is much more satisfying. Sometimes problem behaviour


occurs because students simply don’t know how to act appropriately. Researchers Black and Downs (1992) urged administrators to regard disciplinary referrals as opportunities to teach students


valuable social skills that will promote success in school and


future employment. Meyers and Pawlas (1989) recommended periodically restating the rules, especially after students return from holidays. They claimed that once rules have been communicated, fair and consistent enforcement helps to maintain students’ respect for the school’s discipline system. Providing an appeal process will also increase perceptions of


fairness. Discipline is obviously a minefield, and must be


tailored not just to individual schools and students, but according to the social climate of the area outside the school itself. Parents need to be urged to see the benefits of supporting a positive discipline programme, and students need to learn a little respect. Supportive government measures are only part of the equation. We need proven methods to engage students, attain and sustain their respect, and give them a chance to redeem themselves.


• Karen Sullivan is a bestselling author, psychologist and childcare expert. She returns after Easter.


be expected to work with higher education institutions in the delivery of both ITE and CPD. No-one questions the central role that schools have to play in teacher education, and we welcome the existence (often in partnership with universities) of school-based programmes. A mixed economy has many advantages. What we would question is focusing on discredited


“sitting next to Nellie” approaches to teacher education, which will only serve to lower the status and standing of teaching as a profession. Neither will individual schools welcome the huge administrative and regulatory burdens that accredited ITE providers face. The White Paper was significant as much for what it


did not say as for what it did. What was missing was an indication of how funding for teacher education is to be allocated, and the extent to which student teachers will have to pay higher fees. We expect that these issues will be addressed in further proposals to be announced soon. We have argued that funding for ITE should continue


Training troubles


to be allocated to existing accredited ITE providers, whether they are higher education institute-school partnerships or employment-based. Allocating money direct to schools (particularly individual schools) would remove economies of scale, destabilise high- quality provision, reduce levels of quality assurance, undermine the added-value that universities bring, and place unfair regulatory burdens on schools themselves. There is also the question of fees. Will PGCE


students be expected to pay fees of up to £9,000? ITE providers cannot be expected to run programmes on thin air but how many people, however committed and motivated, would be in a position to incur an extra year’s debt to become a teacher. A mechanism must therefore be found to either continue direct funding for ITE programmes or provide sufficient support to allow student teachers to pay the higher fees that might now be expected of them. And what of undergraduate ITE programmes?


These are extremely popular among student teachers, and many schools prefer to employ teachers trained through this route. The programmes allow student teachers to spend more time in school, and more time focusing on key areas such as SEN, inclusion and behaviour. How will these programmes, which represent good value for money compared to some first degree-PGCE routes, be supported? Teacher education is not perfect. Despite the quality,


no-one believes that improvements cannot be made. However, what’s important is that reforms are directed in the right place. It is generally recognised that only so much can be achieved through a nine-month PGCE, for example, and serious consideration should be given to either extending the PGCE or to ensuring that NQTs receive structured and targeted early professional development that builds on and complements their ITE, of the kind that has recently been proposed in Scotland. More teachers should be given the opportunity to


study Master’s programmes that are focused on the needs of schools and pupils. And more schools should be encouraged to engage with universities on the delivery of both ITE and Master’s level CPD. The education community should await the ITE


review proposals with anticipation. At UCET, we will engage with those that appear to offer genuine solutions. We will defend those parts of the system that we know work well. And we will push for further changes that we think will benefit the quality of our children’s education.


SecEd


• James Noble Rogers is executive director of the Universities Council for the Education of Teachers. Visit www.ucet.ac.uk


FOR BETTER CHILD HEALTH SCHOOL NURSES MORE


A properly resourced school nursing service is required to help schools meet the government’s health and wellbeing objectives.


Research published in the British Journal of School Nursing (BJSN) shows that more school nurses are needed to meet these objectives and ensure school children receive the health care and support they deserve. Therefore


the BJSN has launched a campaign to increase the number of school nurses.


For more information on the campaign visit


http://moreschoolnurses.co.uk Support the campaign or send us your views at:


bjsn@markallengroup.com SecEd • April 14 2011


SCHOOL NURSES FOR BETTER CHILD HEALTH


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