Changes 'putting barrier in front of new teachers in Scunthorpe area'
SOME teachers in North Lincolnshire are concerned that changes to training could put people off choosing the career.
North Lincolnshire Council will next year move from the Graduate Teacher Training Programme (GTP) to school-centred teacher training.
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Cath Llloyd - headteacher at Henderson Avenue School in Scunthorpe - with Ian Snowden, a trainee on the graduate teacher programme
The main difference is the way in which the scheme is funded, with GTP trainees formerly paid an unqualified teacher's salary by the school they are placed at.
Now, as part of the new scheme, graduates will have to fund their own teacher training through grants and bursaries.
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Gerard Cadwallader, vice-principal at St Bede's Catholic Voluntary Academy in Scunthorpe, said: "I don't know what impact it will have. When the Government speaks about attracting good people into this profession, then puts this potential barrier in their place, it makes me question the logic.
"One hopes it does not stop people choosing this career.
"You have to acknowledge that adding a further burden of debt is hardly an incentive and represents a potential barrier."
Cath Lloyd, head teacher at Henderson Avenue Primary School in Scunthorpe, said: "New teachers from the GTP have always been very strong.
"I always felt that by learning in school they developed relationships and skills you can only get from being in such an environment.
"The main change here is that the funding will be different. I hope it doesn't put people off and that potential teachers accept it is just the way of the world."
The trainee teachers will have the opportunity to achieve a Post Graduate Certificate in Education (PGCE) qualification as a part of the one-year programme.
The School-Centred Initial Teacher Training (SCITT) is an apprenticeship model of training, rather than being based at university or college.
People will be based in a host school and experience partnership training opportunities in a range of other schools.
For the 2012/13 academic year, 20 places have been allocated in North Lincolnshire – 12 in primary schools and eight in secondary schools.
Laura Grout, a teacher at Henderson Avenue Primary School, completed her GTP at the school last year.
She said: "It is quite a significant change, but this teaching route and scheme is definitely worth paying for."
Ian Snowden, a trainee teacher on the GTP programme at Henderson Avenue Primary, said: "The absence of a salary seems to be the only difference.
"Some people that previously did the GTP had families and children, and were doing it to change career.
"Now I think there may be more young people doing it, because those in families might not be able to cope with the fact it is self-funded."
Comments
by gordonio
Thursday, January 10 2013, 3:40PM
“My mum always told me to be a teacher, you know what, I wish I'd listened. The trouble is any children not behaving would have had their heads banged together, don't think I would have lasted very long.”
by TurkishAli
Wednesday, January 09 2013, 5:47PM
“Starting salary £40,000 , working only 33 weeks a year, and a decent pension at 50 years old......wouldn't attract many graduates who want to start on £100,000 and don't want to do anything too difficult! Let them do some real work (milkman, coalman, labourer etc) before employing them in schools......how would they know what the real world is like if all they've known is school, school, school, university, then school?”
by crickfan
Wednesday, January 09 2013, 12:37PM
“I'm sure the salary, holidays and pension will still be enough to attract people.”