Commenting on Nick Clegg's announcement that the Liberal Democrats will insist all
schools employ qualified teachers and follow a core curriculum, Chris Keates General Secretary of the NASUWT the largest teachers» union in the UK said: «Children and young people are entitled to be taught by a qualified teacher and to follow a broad and balanced national curriculum.
This seems to highlight one of the most fundamental differences between free schools and regular state schools - there is no obligation to
employ qualified teachers in England's free schools.
This coupled with the requirement to
employ qualified teachers means that nursery schools and other schools with early years» provision face significant additional costs compared to PVI providers.
They are not required to
employ qualified teachers and are not accountable to democratically elected local authorities despite being funded by the tax payer.
«The fact that the overwhelming majority of parents agree that it is important that children are taught by teachers who are professionally qualified is a damning indictment of the Coalition's decision to remove the requirement for all schools to
employ qualified teachers.
I suspect the shift is more to do with the coverage of the dysfunctional Al - Madinah free school in Derby than Nick Clegg's recent comments, but looking specifically at his comments 66 % of people agree that schools should only be able to
employ qualified teachers, 56 % that all schools should have to follow the national curriculum.
«Without the support of the Liberal Democrats the Conservatives could not have removed the requirement for schools to
employ qualified teachers.
The Nigeria Union of Teachers (NUT) has called on the Federal Government to
employ qualified teachers to address the shortage of teachers in schools...
The Nigeria Union of Teachers (NUT) has called on the Federal Government to
employ qualified teachers to address the shortage of teachers in schools in the country.
The government has further undermined the status of teaching by removing the requirement for schools to
employ qualified teachers.
Academies don't have to
employ qualified teachers or be tied down to the pay scales, and a large proportion of the support staff will be disposed of in the name of (in) efficiency.
Teachers» unions are also critical of the fact that free schools do not have to
employ qualified teachers.
It comes as Nick Clegg says all schools should
employ qualified teachers - free schools can employ unqualified staff.
These would have a «distinct service ethos» and would
employ qualified teachers, some with a forces background.
The issues of student absenteeism and
employing qualified teachers, while not new problems for schools, do leave educational leaders continuously searching for new solutions.