Colleges urge teacher training rethink

UNIVERSITY vice-chancellors yesterday called on the Government to re-think plans to reform teacher training.

Proposals to base initial teacher training in schools rather than colleges posed a threat to quality and could lead to political control over teacher education, the Committee of Vice-Chancellors and Principals warned.

There was 'no logical argument' for a fundamental shift towards school-centred training, Kenneth Edwards, CVCP chairman, said.

'We have plenty of arguments as to why these ideas would, if implemented, be a seriously retrograde step,' Dr Edwards said. 'The Government must reconsider.'

In a detailed response to John Patten, Secretary of State for Education, the CVCP said government plans to focus on a practical 'apprenticeship' for teachers rather than theoretical training risked damaging the status of teaching.

'Broadening access to the profession should not be achieved at the expense of quality,' the vice-chancellors said.

The Association of University Teachers and National Association of Teachers in Further and Higher Education backed the CVCP.

'Running down higher education's role in teacher education is against the interests of children, their schools, the future workforce and student teachers,' the AUT-ATFHE Confederation said.