Abstract:

School-led training via the School Direct initiative was introduced in 2012 in England, to enable schools to have more control over training the specific teachers theyrequired. This paper examines the initial effects of this programme and compares it to the late nineteenth and early twentieth century approach of training teachers in schools as pupil-teachers. The introduction of this ‘innovative’ approach has led to a number of serious concerns for the future of teacher education in England. These include the decline in the involvement of universities in teacher education programmes and the effects of this now and in the future on teacher training departments’ continuing existence, possibly resulting in a decline in education research, the increased risks to recruitment to the profession and the need for more highly skilled mentoring in schools. The authors raise concerns about this apparent return to a past system that was discarded as inadequate, yet presented by government as an innovation.

Keywords:

School Direct, school-led training, pupil teacher, teacher training.