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| Conservatives bid to make teaching 'brazenly elitist' |
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Originally published on January 26th, 2010 The Conservative Party have announced plans to attract the UK’s smartest university graduates to teaching by raising the standard of entry whilst offering to write off student loan repayments.
Plans were revealed in the party's draft education manifesto in South London last week, with a view to making teaching, in his own words, 'brazenly elitist' and a more 'noble' profession. Whilst candidates from 'good universities' with an upper-second-class degree in maths or science could have their student loans paid off, no financial help for training would be made available for those with a third-class degree or lower. A 'Teach Now' scheme would also be set up to attract candidates with successful careers in other professions. Party leader David Cameron said: “If we want to give our children the best, it’s time we made our teaching the best,” citing the prestige of education systems in Singapore, Finland and South Korea, where teachers are 'highly respected and educated.' Cameron did not outline when, if the Tories are elected, the plan will be implemented. The plan has been met with considerable scepticism in education circles. Michael Pyke, of the Campaign for State Education, said that: “There is no evidence to suggest that we will see better teachers by giving them more ‘prestige’ and trying to make the profession seem more ‘elite.’ "Most teachers do not go into the profession for a lucrative career or a superior career path. The best teachers are those that reflect and respect the values of our diverse society; they do not necessarily need to have the ‘best’ degrees and the highest exam results. The best teachers are those that can connect with the younger generations and encourage them to become the best citizens for the good of society.” The Tories were also criticized for excluding graduates who attended former polytechnics, as these degrees would not be considered rigorous enough for graduates to benefit from the proposed financial assistance. Christine Blower, general secretary of the National Union of Teachers, said that: "Being 'brazenly elitist' could mean being brazenly exclusive of those potential teachers who through no fault of their own have had a tough time in achieving the necessary qualifications. "Teaching is an extremely demanding profession and not everyone can do it, even those with first-class degrees. While qualifications are obviously necessary, being a good teacher is not dependent on academic ability alone." The Tories announcement comes as all major political parties are readying their manifestos for upcoming elections, which will most likely take place in early May. Much of the hypothetical policy being discussed for 2010 includes social issues, with the Conservatives promising to tackle 'broken society' and Labour proposing programs to educate young fathers and increase their participation in their children’s early years.
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