NASUWT: Use of unqualified staff as teachers rife in schools
Unqualified staff are being widely employed as teachers, a survey by the NASUWT, the largest teachers’ union has found.
Well over half of the teachers (59%) who responded to the online survey said that unqualified staff are employed as teachers in their school, not only to cover lessons, but to perform a variety of roles that require the skills and talents of a teacher, including:
· preparing students for external examinations (51%);
· developing the curriculum (45%); and
· reporting on learning (65%).
Almost three-quarters of teachers (72%) believe that the situation is getting worse because schools cannot or will not pay for qualified teachers.
The survey of nearly 2,300 teachers found that:
97% of unqualified staff hired by schools teach lessons;
nearly six out of ten teachers (59%) of teachers report the use of unqualified staff in their schools and of those teachers who reported this, 85% said they were used regularly;
the vast majority of unqualified staff (77%) are not on programmes to gain qualified teacher status (QTS);
nearly three quarters (74%) of unqualified staff are required to plan and prepare lessons;
over two thirds (69%) have responsibility for assessing and monitoring pupils’ progress;
over half (51%) prepare pupils for Key Stage tests and external examinations;
89% of teachers said that unqualified staff in their school are employed on a permanent basis.
The figures are being released as representatives at the NASUWT’s Annual Conference in Bournemouth prepare to debate a motion today rejecting the removal of the requirement for schools in England to employ qualified teachers.
Chris Keates, General Secretary of the NASUWT, said:
“The extent of the Secretary of State’s decision to remove the entitlement of children and young people to be taught by a qualified teacher can now be seen.
“Parents and the public should be deeply concerned at the results of this survey. Now when a parent sends their child to school they have no idea who is teaching them.
“Unqualified staff who are not being given the appropriate training, support and remuneration for their responsibilities are also being exploited.
“The purpose of the change the Coalition has made is nothing to do with raising standards.
“This is part of the wider strategy to depress costs to encourage more private providers to take over schools.
“If any suggestion was made that unqualified doctors were let loose on patients there would be public outrage.
“Why should our children and young people, the future of this country, be treated with any less concern?”
ENDS
NASUWT Press Office contacts:
Ben Padley 07785 463 119
Lena Davies 07867 392 746
Amanda Williamson 07741 246 202
Notes to editors
The NASUWT’s Annual Conference is being held at the Bournemouth International Centre (BIC) from 29 March to 1 April.
Below is a selection of comments from teachers who responded to the survey-
“Children are getting a raw deal and schools are saving themselves money. This is purely financial with no thought for the education of students”;
“When these colleagues are first employed as a teacher they do not have the necessary skills and training and are under severe pressure – several have not lasted a year despite a lot of support”;
“It is notable that the majority of our lessons graded unsatisfactory in recent the Ofsted inspection were taught by un/limited qualified staff”;
“As a teacher it concerns me that it diminishes the status of the profession, as a parent I worry that my children are being taught badly”;
“I have just lost my job as qualified teacher status (QTS) instrumental teacher and I am being replaced by unqualified 'tutors'”;
“The appointment of a level 4 learning support assistant (LSA) at the school in which I teach has led to a teacher redundancy situation. A teacher will be made redundant this forthcoming academic year because the role has been replaced by a level 4 LSA.”
The full text of the motion is below:
MAINTAINING QUALIFIED TEACHER STATUS AND STANDARDS
Executive to move,
Alan Parkhurst to second:
Conference condemns the removal by the Coalition Government of the right of all children and young people in England to be taught by qualified teachers.
Conference believes that this step, combined with the failure to provide an appropriate regulatory body which is able to secure the high status of teaching, will affect levels of recruitment into the profession, undermine the retention of good graduates and downgrade the status of teachers in England in comparison with their counterparts elsewhere in the UK.
Conference asserts that it is in the public interest to defend and secure a national framework of professional qualifications and accreditation for all teachers.
Conference endorses work by the national executive to:
(i) continue the campaign to protect and promote the status of qualified teaching across the UK;
(ii) ensure that all initial teacher training routes lead to a teaching qualification in which the public can have full confidence and
(iii) develop the NASUWT’s organising strategies to take account of changing requirements in
teacher training and qualifications.
(Executive, Shropshire North, Hertfordshire)
Lena Davies
Press and Media Officer
NASUWT
0121 457 6250 / 07867 392 746
lena.davies@mail.nasuwt.org.uk
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