World Teachers' Day - Teachers are the beating heart of a world class education system
On World Teachers’ Day the NASUWT-The Teachers’ Union has called on UK Governments and administrations to take the steps to ensure every child is taught by a qualified teacher who has the pay, working conditions, training and support they need to make the fullest possible use of their professional talents, knowledge and expertise
The Union is setting out the principles it believes must be in place to ensure our education systems across the UK recognise and develop teachers as professionals.
The Union believes this requires:
- high-quality initial teacher training;
- all teachers working in state-funded schools to be in possession of qualified teacher status (QTS);
- senior leaders in schools who are qualified and accredited as teachers;
- career-long continuous professional development for all teachers and school leaders;
- a move towards teaching as a Masters-level profession; and
- a commitment to ensuring that teachers are remunerated appropriately.
Chris Keates, General Secretary of the NASUWT said:
“Qualified teacher status represents the means by which parents and the public can be assured that children are receiving a guaranteed standard of teaching and learning. It is the entitlement of all children and young people to be taught by a qualified teacher.
“Respect for the professionalism of teachers is a hallmark of an education system that is genuinely committed to raising standards and extending educational opportunities for all learners.
“A national framework of professional requirements and standards, underpinned by a framework of professional terms and conditions of service, is critical to ensuring quality for all children and young people.
“Yet when we look across the UK, we see in every administration, year-on-year cuts to teachers’ pay, spiralling workloads and the undermining at school and national level of teachers’ professionalism, skills and knowledge, exacerbated by the demands of the high-stakes accountability system.
“This is leading to an exodus from the profession, a scandalous waste of talent which is damaging children and young people’s entitlement to a world class education.
“On World Teachers’ Day, which this year is dedicated to the theme of empowering teachers, the NASUWT is calling on governments and administrations to recognise that this world class education starts with creating the conditions by which teaching is a high status, attractive profession where teachers have an entitlement to ongoing training and pedagogical development and working conditions which support them to focus on teaching and raising standards for every child.”
