23rd July 2014 12:00
By Blue Tutors
The Labour party have revealed plans to introduce a grade of elite teachers which would be established in state schools in order to raise standards. The policy is part of a drive to ensure that the best teachers are attracted to the profession, and teachers who qualified as top tier could receive higher salaries. Shadow education secretary Tristram Hunt has criticised the education secretary for allowing unqualified teachers to work in free schools and academies, and promised that under a labour government, all teachers would have to be qualified. The announcement that they plan to introduce a tier of elite tutors is the latest policy to draw attention to the marked differences in Labour and Tory education policy with regards to teacher qualifications.
Labour’s policy would see teachers choosing specialisms early on in their careers, choosing classroom teaching methods, curriculum development in their chosen subject, or leadership roles. The model of a tier of master teachers reflects a similar system operating in Singapore, and was recommended to current education secretary Michael Gove, who rejected the idea. Hunt said that the Singaporean model gave teachers a clear career path, and provided the necessary incentives for elite teachers to stay in the profession. He outlined Labour’s approach to teaching, and said that the focus should be placed on training and retaining the best teachers possible.
Under the policy, teachers would be awarded top tier status after meeting standards set by an independent body. Teachers currently working in schools without a qualification would be given two years to complete a formal qualification, after which time they would have to leave the profession. Although there has been some opposition to the idea that teachers would have to gain a formal licence, the largest teaching unions have backed the idea, saying that they welcomed measures which would improve the standing of teachers and give them something to aspire to.