One of the advantages of the long lazy days of summer, especially when the British weather turns more autumnal is that it promotes alternative activities, such as clearing our bookshelves that have become overloaded.

Looking through some hidden gems from the 1990s, I came across my copy of Bines and Welton’s ‘Managing Partnership in Teacher Training and Development’. Published by Routledge in 1995, the book examined the early consequences of the changes in teacher preparation and development following the then Conservative government’s creation of the Teacher Training Agency.

My modest contribution to the book was to help write part of the conclusion. Even then, academic writing wasn’t for me.

It is interesting to read the whole book in the light of the recent DfE market review of ITT, but especially to consider the section on planning for teacher supply and development (pages 210-214).

Consider this statement

“Another aspect of implementing current strategic plans for teacher supply involves ensuring the provision of teachers with the right mix of subject expertise, age phase and geographical distribution. However, the present geographical and institutional pattern of teacher education is largely the product of incremental change rather than a coherent strategy.” (Bines & Welton, page 211)

How much more rationale is the provision of teacher education today than it was a quarter of a century ago? Judging by the lack of places in some subjects in some parts of the country, one might think that little has changed other than new routes have entered the market, and in some cases disappeared, as with the Fast Track Scheme.

So, will the latest discussions about teacher preparation and career development create a more rational approach based on a clear policy or just another political decision in favour of one type of solution than another?

Will the market approach still dominate or will there be an attempt to ensure sufficient teacher numbers for all types of school and all parts of England in a more regulated fashion than just predicting demand for teachers through the Teacher Supply Model?

Judging by the recent reaction to the issues surrounding the number of doctors to be trained, where providers were told the cap was tight only to see a volte face as results day approached, it is possible to be sceptical about the likely outcome of the review of teacher education. After all, nobody ever seems to be held to account when yet another year of missed targets for subjects means some schools will likely go without teachers properly qualified in certain subjects and able to teach to Key Stage 5. Indeed, it is possible, due to the working of the market, for those teachers best equipped to teach ‘A’ level to end up in 11-16 schools without a sixth form.

What are the principles underlying the creation, development and deployment of the teacher workforce in England? Basically, the same as a quarter century or even a half century ago? New courses and providers may appear, and schools be more involved with longer classroom based practice, but the real policy questions still seem to be ignored.  For more on this theme it is worth looking at this post from 2014. https://johnohowson.wordpress.com/2014/06/23/a-submission-to-the-carter-review/