This item was published during the term of a previous administration that ended in April 2007
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More graduates eligible for classroom career
05/05/2004
A move to increase the number of graduates eligible to
train as a teacher was announced today.
Revised entry requirements for the one year post
graduate certificate of education (PGCE) course will widen
the pool of potential secondary teachers, allowing
universities to select the applicants best equipped to give
children a first class education.
The revised entry requirements mean potential teachers
must have gained at least 80 credits in their teaching
subject at university, as opposed to the current
expectation of 120 credits which was introduced when the
entry requirements were amended in 1995.
Education Minister Peter Peacock said:
"Teachers have a vital role to play in ensuring every
child in Scotland has the chance to realise their full
potential. That's why it's crucial that we recruit more
high quality teachers. There are two key elements to this -
sound knowledge in their subject and, just as importantly,
a wider aptitude for teaching.
"While the changes announced in 1995 were made with the
best of intentions, it left many potentially excellent
teachers excluded from a classroom career. The vast
majority of our existing teachers have exactly the
qualifications base we want to serve us in the future and
may not have been eligible for entry to the profession
under the existing requirements.
"Gifted and enthusiastic teachers make a subject come
alive for pupils, potentially igniting a lifelong interest.
I don't believe we should turn away well-qualified
applicants, who are clearly competent in subject expertise
and show a real aptitude for teaching, simply because they
have not studied the subject they wish to teach in every
year of their degree.
Changes to the structure of modern degrees also
require us to examine the continuing relevance of the
current criteria."
Matthew MacIver, Chief Executive of the General Teaching
Council for Scotland, said:
"The General Teaching Council for Scotland has accepted
for some time now that the expansion in the range and
content of degrees in the higher education sector
necessitates a regular review of entry requirements. This
move by the Scottish Executive Education Department, in the
Council's opinion, will enhance and complement the quality
and breadth of the teaching profession we already have in
Scotland.
"When assessing a candidate's potential for teaching we
can now look at the whole of the candidate's degree while
insisting on 80 credits in the chosen subject. Rigorous
entry requirements still exist for entry into the
profession in Scotland but we accept the fact that some
flexibility is needed in the system. The proposed
flexibility will not compromise standards but will allow us
to attract the best candidates into the profession."
In 1995, the minimum entry requirements to PGCE
secondary courses were increased with effect from
2000-2001. The new arrangements required applicants to have
more courses within their degrees relating to the school
subject(s) they wished to teach and some of this was
required to be at third year degree level.
The decision to increase the minimum entry requirements
from 2000-2001 was the direct outcome of a working group
and consultation with interested parties including further
and higher education institutions, the teacher education
institutions (TEIs) and the General Teaching Council for
Scotland (GTCS).
Since the original decision was taken in 1995 there have
been considerable changes in the field of teacher education
- notably the introduction of the standard for full
registration and the new induction scheme for probationer
teachers - which have significantly altered the position
with regards to maintaining standards of entry into the
teaching profession.
Today's announcement means that the next version of the
memorandum on entry requirements will indicate that the
minimum entry requirement for PGCE secondary courses have
been revised to take account of this announcement. The
GTCS and TEIs have been consulted about the change. The
announcement is consistent with an interim recommendation
of the Initial Teacher Education review group which
included representation from GTCS, TEIs, teacher
organisations, local authorities and the Scottish
Executive.
A Scottish honours degree normally has 480 credits while
an ordinary degree is made up of 360 credits. A full
academic year's study is roughly equivalent to 120
credits.
The Executive is committed to increasing the number of
teachers in Scotland to 53,000 by 2007. This change does
not affect that commitment, but is intended to maximise the
educational benefits obtainable through the increase in
teacher numbers.
Further information on training to become a teacher is
available at
www.scotland.gov.uk/education/teaching/pages/home.htm