Finally, Some Sense From Cable

[youngmafbog]

Never thought I would ever agree with this man but on this I think he really has a point.

Slightly generalized as some do have 'real world' experience but by far the majority in our state schools do not.

http://news.sky.com/story/1221665/cable-teachers-know-nothing-of-world-of-work

[woofgang]

He's right but maybe could have phrased it better. Many schools know this and invite people from local businesses and public services in to talk about their jobs and what is needed to do them. I did quite a few careers evenings myself before I retired.

[anotheoldgit]

/// NUT general secretary Christine Blower labelled the Lib Dem MP's remark "insulting". ///

/// "This is a crass remark, which is insulting to teachers who are workers in their own right," she said. ///

/// "As the Government's own study - published just last week - shows, teachers work an extraordinary number of hours and show real dedication to 'the world of work'. ///

That is typical, doesn't that woman realise that Vince Cable is talking about the 'real work of work' outside the confines of the Universities or Schools.

[mikey4444]

Its even worse then Cable has admitted. Due to policies that his Government have introduced, Teachers not only do not have to have experience of the real world, some of them no longer have to be trained and qualified to work in schools ! Free schools...free of qualified Teachers !

You couldn't make it up !

[Canary42]

There's nothing new about this - it's been the case for over a hundred years.

Academia has always been an ivory tower.

[ludwig]

The main thing they're complaining about seems to be the unintended insinuation that teaching doesn't count as work, which he obviously didn't mean.

They're not disputing his basic point that most of them don't have any experience outside of education.

[sandyRoe]

Are teachers any more insulated from the real world than politicians?

[ludwig]

^ good point sandy. What's Cable's background?

[youngmafbog]

From 1966 to 1968, he was a Treasury Finance Officer to the Kenyan Government.[10]

In the 1970s, he was special advisor to John Smith when the latter was Industry Secretary. He was an advisor to the British government and then to the Commonwealth Secretary-General in the 1970s and 1980s.

Cable served as Chief Economist for the oil company Royal Dutch Shell from 1995 to 1997. His role at Shell came under scrutiny as the company was accused of playing a role in a turbulent era of Nigerian politics.[11]

[youngmafbog]

Mickey
/Free schools...free of qualified Teachers ! /

I have posted before, but I will repeat it again as you must have missed it.

I had a private education where many of the staff were not qualified. They actually gained top results as they could make the lesson more relevant and interesting plus could give trade 'secrets' away for things like tech drawing' etc. In addition it tended to be them that took additional tasks such as Rugby coach, taking us to games and training us in their own time.

Our teachers also often held holiday classes (at no fee) if you were dragging behind. I wonder if our state school academics would do that?

[naomi24]

Mikey, //Due to policies that his Government have introduced, Teachers not only do not have to have experience of the real world, some of them no longer have to be trained and qualified to work in schools ! Free schools...free of qualified Teachers !//

I’ve told you at least once before that unqualified people have been teaching in our schools – state schools – for years. Nothing to do with this government, but since it’s been happening for a very long time it could be something to do with the last. I’m becoming convinced that if you see an opportunity to have a dig at anyone who doesn’t vote as you do, you don’t bother to read other people’s posts – you just blather on - regardless of the truth.

[ludwig]

// I’m becoming convinced that if you see an opportunity to have a dig at anyone who doesn’t vote as you do, you don’t bother to read other people’s posts – you just blather on - regardless of the truth. //

This is compulsory behaviour in the news section Naomi. Didn't you read the rules?

[naomi24]

:o)

[mikey4444]

Naomi...I withdraw nothing from my comments about unqualified Teachers and Free Schools, and I will uphold my right to mention this on AB whenever I feel it is appropriate. You are entitled to your view, as I am to mine, no matter how many times you remind me of what you have said before.

Is your version of the "truth" the only one that can be true ? Many people are not happy with unqualified Teachers in our schools, not just me. Can't we both exist side by side with our differences of opinion ?

[naomi24]

Mikey, this is not due to 'policies that this government have introduced'. You are indeed entitled to your opinions just as I am entitled to object when you deliberately misrepresent people and organisations in an effort to denigrate them for you own political reasons - which you do consistently.

[mikey4444]

It is according to Wiki naomi, or is Wiki wrong as well ?

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Free_school_(England)

Key sentence from the Wiki link :::

"Free schools were introduced by the Conservative-Liberal Democrat coalition following the 2010 general election making it possible for parents, teachers, charities and businesses to set up their own schools"

Thanks for your compliment about consistency !

[SirOracle]

We do not have unqualified teachers in our schools in Scotland. Yet another advantage of living in this country.

[naomi24]

Mickey, the point is unqualified people have been teaching in our schools for years. It's nothing to do with free schools and it isn't as a result of this government's policies as you claim - and an observation that you are consistently politically disingenuous is not a compliment.

[LazyGun]

I have always understood it to be the case that to teach in state schools you need to have Qualified Teacher Status.

http://www.education.gov.uk/get-into-teaching/faqs/becoming-a-teacher/qualified-teacher-status

Private schools, and now free schools do not have this restriction. As of last year, the coalition relaxed the QTS requirement for Academies too, so that they to in theory can hire teachers that do not meet the QTS requirement.

Is it a good thing or a bad thing? Probably mixed. As ymb has pointed out, there are plenty of people who have come through the private schools system without necessarily having been taught by a "Qualified Teacher" and done well. Does this mean QTS is unnecessary? Cannot tell from that, because there are additional confounding factors, like class size, parent motivation, money, all of that.

The fear - and possible downside- of not hiring QTS teachers is that some free schools will hire any old yahoo on the cheap, or someone who fits their religiously inspired criteria. The upside might be that you get access to a wider range of potentially more inspirational and hence effective teachers.

Experience in the real world is a fine thing - but it does not, of itself, guarantee a better standard of teaching.

[naomi24]

LazyGun, apparently, they are the rules ......

I agree with Mr Cable to a degree. Teachers never actually leave school - and very often it shows.

[modeller]

May I refer you to my post 4th Mar which discussed this point.

Should We Run Our Country This Way ?