Quote Originally Posted by Dedworth View Post
Fear over third-rate teacher trainees: Fifth of candidates scraped through university with lowest grade possible

  • Key disciplines are 'impoverished' by trainees' poor qualifications
  • 18 per cent of physics trainees achieved only third-class degrees
  • The Good Teacher Training Guide 2012 analysed recruits to teacher training courses in 2010/11


Nearly a fifth of trainee teachers in crucial school subjects scraped through their university degrees with the lowest possible grade, a report reveals today.

Key disciplines are 'impoverished' by the poor qualifications of hundreds of students training to teach in secondary schools, the research warned.

Eighteen per cent of physics trainees, 15 per cent of maths and 14 per cent in chemistry and languages achieved only third-class degrees in their undergraduate courses.

The findings prompted concern that thousands of pupils will be put off studying traditional disciplines to A-level and beyond by lacklustre teaching.

The report also revealed that millions of pounds of public money is being wasted each year training teachers who never actually make into the classroom.

The level of prior qualifications achieved by trainees is thought to be linked to high drop-out rates during and after training courses.

Three in ten students who started teacher training were not working in schools six months after courses - and a further one in ten got jobs in private schools or other sectors.

Just 61 per cent of 37,734 trainees ended up in state school classrooms.

Read more: http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/arti...#ixzz2COGatNsd

During my time as a School Governor I quickly realised many of them are existing in a fantasy world, totally clueless about real life and puffed up with their own self importance - a very peculiar bunch
Interesting article Ded and I have to say that you cannot help but notice that standards have dropped over the years.
I do think that Government has a part to play here with the lowering of standards. It's probably an age thing but every part of the education system seems to have deteriorated over the years. In my day O levels were an achievement but when I see what goes in to getting a modern day GCSE it's a joke. If your course work is up to scratch over the course of the year then you are virtually guaranteed a pass.
Teaching in my view has to be made more attractive and then you will attract a much better class of teacher. The brightest now go straight into the private sector to make their fortunes and who can blame them.
Perhaps a return of the Grammar school might also see an improvement of standards.