The
NASUWTsaid while many ex-servicemen and women would make good teachers, they should qualify through existing routes.
Under the government’s plans, former armed forces personnel will be the only people able to start training as a teacher without a degree and will qualify within two years.
Schools Minister David Laws said:
“We want to capture the ethos and talents of those leaving the armed forces and bring this experience into teaching. We know that our highly-skilled servicemen and women can inspire young people and help raise educational attainment."
The scheme is backed by Labour, who said ministers have been too slow in setting it up.
Chris Keates, General Secretary of the
NASUWT, the largest teachers' union, said Education Secretary Michael Gove is “using these projects to imply once again that somehow teachers are failing”.
“I am sure that amongst ex-service personnel there are many who have the skills and abilities to work effectively with young people,” she said.
“Many ex-service personnel may want to become qualified teachers and they should be supported to go through the established routes to do this.
“There is a distinction between the skills and expertise required to maintain discipline among adults in the armed services with that required to ensure there is positive behaviour in schools.
“To say you can simply transfer the skills from one to the other is an oversimplification of the complexities of dealing with pupil behaviour in schools.”
Russell Hobby, of the National Association of Head Teachers, said: "It seems predicated on the notion that military service automatically makes someone a good teacher, whereas the reality is, some will make brilliant teachers and some won't."
The scheme, called Troops to Teachers, will provide teacher training opportunities to service leavers - with significant extra benefits including salaries while training, bursaries and bespoke training.
From September, service leavers with degrees will be able to enrol on teacher training programmes with additional bespoke training and £2,000 bursary uplifts.
From January 2014, highly-skilled service leavers without degrees will be able to enrol on a 2-year, school-based, salaried training programme. These service leavers will be the only people able to start training as a teacher without a degree and be qualified within two years.
Those accepted on to courses will have gone through a rigorous selection process which will assess their skills, experience, technical or subject expertise and qualifications.