Explain it to me again…who is qualified to teach?
A few quotes from this report from the BBC:
“Trainee teachers are having to resit basic tests in maths, English and IT two or more times, figures have shown.”
“Of the 31,206 candidates in 2004, 2-3% had to take numeracy, literacy or information and communication technology exams more than twice.
The Teacher Training Agency (TTA) figures show a handful of people had to sit them 10 times.”
“They have been criticised by one teaching union as unnecessary because trainee teachers must have GCSE maths and English.
The tests were introduced in 2000. In 2001, a limit on the number of times a candidate could take them was abolished.”
“A TTA spokeswoman said of the results: “It may have been fifteen years since a trainee teacher has studied subjects such as maths and English so it’s important that people prepare well and refresh their skills.”
In summary, significant numbers of trainee teachers don’t have basic skills in core academic subjects. And teaching unions don’t think they should have to.
Remember that the next time a teaching union calls for monitoring of home-educators because parents are somehow ‘not qualified’ to teach their children.
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I want to know how many of them had to take them more than once
The article says:
In 2003-4, 87% passed numeracy first time, 9% on the second attempt and 4% on the third or more attempt. For literacy, that was 88% first time, 9% on second and 3% on subsequent attempts. For ICT the figures were 88%, 10% and 2%.
I want to know how many still didn’t pass on their tenth attempt!