Issue 2:
The initial and
continuous
development of
the teaching
profession
Recognising that the Commission's interests were that school staff are given the support that they
without limit, it was interesting to find this one need so that they can make the most of
resonating across so many inputs: the difficulties technology.
faced by the teaching profession in achieving true
and systematic CPD. Even more fundamental was
the question of what we think the modern
professional teacher should be able to do.
If earlier statements about the rate of development
of education are correct, teachers need constant
preparation for change. Over the decades the
teaching profession has been ill-served by the roller
coaster that has taken us between directed time
and the workforce agreement. The teaching
profession in the UK is now amongst the highest
paid in Europe. The profession is attracting
excellent new members. It is a profession of which
we should be proud. Now is the time to make the
description of 'profession' more meaningful. In
most professions, initial training is constantly
updated and professional development is
undertaken as a combination of courses and
individual development, some paid for and in
company time, and some undertaken without
payment and in own time but with a view to
career enhancement. So it should be for the
teaching profession. This autumn saw the NUT's 15
October press release arguing the case for schools
to dedicate 'sufficient time in the day' to ensure
Recommendation 2
The Commission recommends:
1 That a debate be started, perhaps led by the GTC, with the TDA and teacher professional
associations as important stakeholders, to redefine what the modern professional teacher
should be able to do. The conclusions should feed a modernisation of initial teacher
training and a reassessment of teacher CPD.
2 Accepting that more must be done to support teachers' development in the context of
their schools' needs.
3 Establishing the career-enhancing development which would be a personal commitment.
58
Page 1  |  Page 2  |  Page 3  |  Page 4  |  Page 5  |  Page 6  |  Page 7  |  Page 8  |  Page 9  |  Page 10  |  Page 11  |  Page 12  |  Page 13  |  Page 14  |  Page 15  |  Page 16  |  Page 17  |  Page 18  |  Page 19  |  Page 20  |  Page 21  |  Page 22  |  Page 23  |  Page 24  |  Page 25  |  Page 26  |  Page 27  |  Page 28  |  Page 29  |  Page 30  |  Page 31  |  Page 32  |  Page 33  |  Page 34  |  Page 35  |  Page 36  |  Page 37  |  Page 38  |  Page 39  |  Page 40  |  Page 41  |  Page 42  |  Page 43  |  Page 44  |  Page 45  |  Page 46  |  Page 47  |  Page 48  |  Page 49  |  Page 50  |  Page 51  |  Page 52  |  Page 53  |  Page 54  |  Page 55  |  Page 56  |  Page 57  |  Page 58  |  Page 59  |  Page 60  |  Page 61  |  Page 62  |  Page 63  |  Page 64  |  Page 65  |  Page 66