Government puts cart before horse in accepting teacher standards

It is perplexing that the government has accepted the recommendations of the Independent Review of Teachers’ Standards, published today, before it has fully considered the knock on effects on performance-related pay, the current pay and conditions framework and the discontinuation of the current standards, says the Association of School and College Leaders.

ASCL General Secretary Brian Lightman said:

“The principle of a clear and simple set of standards for all teachers is to be welcomed. However before the existing standards are replaced, there is an enormous number of unanswered questions to address. We do not know how they will be matched to the current pay and conditions framework, how they will relate to the performance-related pay structure or how they will fit with the current rigorous assessment process required of potential advanced skills teachers. There is a big question about how a fixed set of standards for all qualified teachers will be able to recognise the differences in performance expected of a newly qualified teacher as opposed to one with years of experience.”

“All of these issues will have to be resolved by the School Teachers Review Body before the standards can be implemented. The fact that that body is not even in a position to consider such issues, as it has yet to reappoint a chair, leads to the conclusion that in accepting the recommendations, the government has put the cart before the horse. We trust that all of the issues will be thoroughly considered and resolved before the new standards are put in place.”

Note: The Independent Review of Teachers’ Standards, chaired by Sally Coates, has recommended that the current Post-Threshold, Excellent Teacher and Advanced Skills Teacher standards should be discontinued, and that a new high-level ‘Master Teacher Standard’ should be established to set an aspirational statement of what it means to be an excellent practitioner. The Secretary of State has accepted the principle and wording of the proposed new standard. He has acknowledged that detailed consideration will need to be given to the implications of discontinuing the current standards. The review was not remitted to make any recommendations relating to teachers’ pay, so the Secretary of State has said he intends to ask the School Teachers’ Review body to consider the possible implications of the recommendations. See the full report at www.education.gov.uk/schools/teachingandlearning/reviewofstandards

12 December 2011