NASUWT comments on 'hot-housing' proposals on QTS and headship
Commenting on the Department for Children, Schools and Families’ (DCSF) proposals on new fast-track routes to qualified teacher status (QTS) and headship, Chris Keates, General Secretary of the NASUWT, the largest teachers’ union in the UK, said:
“It must be clear from the outset that whatever the length of the course, there cannot be any compromise on the skills and knowledge that need to be covered and developed during the training. Rigorous quality assurance is a must.
“In reality there are no shortcuts to being an effective teacher. The same ground, to the same depth, will need to be covered in six months as in the longer courses. It will be highly intensive and such hot-housing will not appeal to everyone.
“The Accelerate to Headship scheme may have merit if it provides the opportunity for groups currently under-represented in leadership structures in schools to progress to headship. The credibility of this route will depend on it being rigorous, robust and grounded in professional practice.
“Serving teachers will rightly expect those who opt for these routes to be genuinely motivated and committed to working within a public service. Children and young people deserve to be taught by those who are in it for the duration, not refugees from business biding their time until something better comes along.
“The NASUWT welcomes the commitment of the DCSF to discussing the detail of these proposals with the social partners. The Union will seek to ensure that all of these fundamental and critical principles are met.”
