In her address at IfL's annual general meeting on Thursday, 10 October 2013, she said, “As teachers and trainers, we have a duty to bring light to today's world. We are here to transform lives, to push back the darkness at a time when there is turbulence everywhere. For me, there is a very strong values base to teaching. The best pedagogy pushes back. It brings knowledge and supports people to understand.
“Teachers and trainers have professional strength in numbers, and it is important to remember that educators form a powerful professional community. There is some ambivalence out there, but why would you not be supportive of an independent professional body for teachers and trainers? It is about honour, respect and coming together as a group with a long tradition of bringing light. We need to band together, to push back, for the sake of future generations.”
Outgoing IfL president Beatrix Groves spoke of the need for further education teachers and trainers to nurture their sense of professional pride. “I have learned a lot about an FE system that works on the basis of the hard work of staff and all the things they take on board,” she said. “Only in a system such as education would that happen. It is all part of the unspoken gift that employees bring, and should never be taken for granted. We are not just coming along to do a job: we are being paid to be the professionals we really are. That is a great source of professional pride.”
Penny Petch, IfL's new president, set out three themes for her tenure: teaching qualifications; management training for newly promoted teachers; and professional development that has impact.
“I am passionate about the need for an independent professional body, she said. “Before training as a teacher, I was a qualified nurse and midwife, so for me it is second nature to be a member of a professional body.
“It is amazing how many people do not know that the regulations for teachers needing to be trained and qualified have been revoked. Part of the reason I stood for election as president was my anger at the Lingfield report and my desire to do something about its recommendation to revoke these regulations.”
IfL's elected chair, Sue Crowley, said, “Reclaiming the moral purpose of education and taking professional pride in delivering life-changing opportunities for learners were strong themes at our AGM and advisory council meeting today, and tie in with the core values that are at the heart of why individual teachers and trainers choose to belong to IfL as their professional body.”
Notes
The press notice is available online here.
About IfL
The Institute for Learning (IfL) was formed in 2002 by further education teachers, trade unions, employers and others, and is the professional body for teachers, tutors, trainers and student teachers in the further education and skills sector, including adult and community learning, emergency and public services, FE colleges, the armed services, sixth-form colleges, the voluntary sector and work-based learning. IfL supports excellence in professional teachers' and trainers' practice for learners.
IfL confers Qualified Teacher Learning and Skills (QTLS) status, which since 1 April 2012 has been recognised as equivalent to Qualified Teacher Status (QTS) for teaching in schools, and Associate Teacher Learning and Skills (ATLS).
An independent professional body, IfL is governed by an elected advisory council and non-executive board with the large majority from its membership, and works closely with several sector organisations, unions and employer bodies.