Ex-military personnel aspiring to teach won't have to hold a degree to gain Qualified Teacher Status on DfE's new teacher training programme
Birmingham, United Kingdom (PRWEB UK) 9 July 2013 -- The government have launched Troops to Teachers, a new scheme designed to make it easier for former members of the Royal Navy, Army and Royal Air Force to become teachers, even if they don’t hold a degree.
Troops to Teachers, a brand new salaried, school-based teacher training programme will be the first provider to grant Qualified Teacher Status to candidates without a degree.
Service leavers with degrees will be able to enrol on to a one year, school-based teacher training programme from September 2014. Service leavers without degrees will be able to enrol on to a two year school-based programme and become a qualified teacher afterwards.
Education Minister David Laws said: “Many members of our inspiring armed forces possess skills and expertise relevant to the classroom. Every child can benefit from having these values instilled in them.
“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.
“Troops to Teachers will make it easier for those who have already contributed so much to our country to continue their brilliant work - this time in the classroom.”
A teacher recruitment specialist, Michaela Powell, has concerns over trained teachers not holding degrees. Michaela owns Aspire People, an education recruitment agency that offers 1000s of teaching jobs and non-teaching jobs in schools up and down the East and West Midlands. She says, “Aspire People welcome professionals from the forces with open arms; we already have a number of ex-service personnel working for our business. Their ability to inspire pupils is unrivaled and they are an invaluable asset to the schools that we work with.
“However, when advising candidates from the military on routes in to teaching I would definitely encourage aspiring teachers from the forces to obtain a degree before their initial teacher training course. Not only to ensure that pupils get the best possible education but so they have the level of subject knowledge to compete with traditional Qualified Teachers, crucial when apply for jobs after you qualify.”
“Whilst school related on-the-job training is growing in popularity, with initiatives like School Direct, it could be difficult for teachers without a degree to compete with those that do. Forces leavers applying for Troops to Teachers must have gained teaching, instructing, mentoring or coaching qualifications or experience to qualify for the two year course. However, they will not have the depth of subject knowledge in the field they will be teaching, potentially up to A Level. I hope this School Direct programme will at least consider placing applicants without degrees on a Subject Knowledge Enhancement Course."
Troops to Teachers was inspired by a similar programme in the US called T3. This showed that armed forces leavers can make outstanding teachers and role models, particularly in developing leadership skills and engaging disaffected students.
Aspire People helps professionals find jobs in education throughout the West and East Midlands.
To read the original press release from the Department for Education “New routes for talented ex-armed forces personnel to become teachers”, dated 7 June 2013 head to https://www.gov.uk/government/news/new-routes-for-talented-ex-armed-forces-personnel-to-become-teachers.
Cherie-Anne Baxter, Aspire People, http://www.aspirepeople.co.uk, 0121 314 3606, [email protected]
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