DC’s teacher didn’t go to university.

Just to add to my previous post - as it turns out I'm quite good at 'going to uni' as it's really not that hard once you work out the 'formula'; and I've no worries at being an idiot, either voluntarily or just by dint of being me. Could write an esay with one hand and balance a baby with the other; mind and body intact.

Even started forging an academic niche but all plans went to trash when some young uni-read, brain-dead teachers got ds in their sights and his 'very bad parent' and his education went tits up.

It's ok now and karma has kicked some ass where due - but honestly, going to uni and getting a degree only means you can 'do' uni and nothing more.

No but hopefully imparts subject knowledge.

For those of us who remember him, would you prefer to be taught Maths by Johnny Ball or a mathematician with a PhD?
With English, I am continually disappointed by the inability of people to express themselves clearly, so I would be very happy with someone who could bring the subject to life and impart an enthusiasm for prose, poetry and drama, whatever their formal educational qualifications.

My brother has a degree, masters and a PhD - and will regularly spend large amounts of time doing things such as pushing at pull doors, and walking into see through things.

University does not necessarily equal intelligence

It’s not uncommon for private school to hire unqualified teachers- because they have the correct background ( posh,
family connections, went to school with someone connected to the school) or the right accent etc.
Friend has recently had safeguarding issues at her daughters school, and discovered that several of the new male teachers haven’t had either background checks or have DBS.
private schools make up their own rules.
Part of the culture that allowed bullies
And
sex offenders to thrive in then, unfortunately.

Would you raise this with the school in my position?
No.

She left school when pregnant so got no GCSEs but she went back to education to get an NVQ in social care.

her start in life she has done amazingly well for herself.

Maybe with an improved education system (for both public and private, as some private and independent schools seem to be the ‘Wild West’) a girl growing up like Angela could go on to be PM.

Schools need more resources and the teaching profession and children themselves need to be much more highly valued by our society.

Teaching assistants are often used to "teach" classes these days. So it shouldn't be a surprise really.

This isn’t true. I know people teaching subjects at state schools that they didn’t even do a levels in.

Not at all. Why should they have a degree?

A lifetime of experience in sector far outweighs most crap degrees.

Apparently you can pass with 40%. It’s absolute bollocks most of the time.

I am a qualified teacher. I have a PGCE and QTS. I did a Theology degree (got a 2:1 from Leeds Uni. I can not remember any of the content of it. I was stoned most of the time. I was a kid. I winged it. The content was utterly irrelevant to the content of GCSE RE. I completed a PGCE Religious Studies Newcastle Uni… so that I could teach Outdoor Ed and PE. Over the last 20 years OFSTED found my lessons, and department to be ‘outstanding’.

Not back in the day no. My old boss who was head of a large legal department didn't have one and hadn't done degree level training. It wasn't a requirement.

Nurses didn't used to need a degree until fairly recently either.

What on earth are you talking about?!

Would love to see any actual evidence to back this up 😂

Many people who choose private are doing it for because of the brilliant education they will get, but for a number of different reasons - when I, a state-educated person, talked to other mums and asked why, the answers were - the atmosphere, no local riff-raff, no foreign riff-raff, sports opportunities, good discipline, ability to meet and potentially marry people like them, etc. The reasons were many and very varied.

What’s TEFEL?!
Do you mean TEFL as in teachers of English as a foreign language?

Usually teachers as such, are qualified with a degree in Education and a teaching diploma which are equivalent to the British standards, and many have Master in English or a related field in education.

I've got a PhD and was a teacher. The very best teacher I had at school - back in the 60's, who inspired me in her subject to the extent that I wanted to study it, encouraged me to go to Uni and did not have a degree.

WTF?

Where do you get that from?

I can assure you that that is not the case.

As others have said private schools don’t jabs to recruit those with degrees. My DC’s auntie works at her children private religious school as a cooking teacher. She’s an amazing cook don’t get me wrong, but she does teach some theory and has to google it (or at least she did at first and now I guess she’s got materials). They recruited her as she helped out at the school bringing in some of her food and they loved her food (as do I, it is amazing food). That’s when I found out private schools don’t have to recruit qualified teachers and to be honest it shocked me

Hahaha - going to uni doesn't mean much in terms of ability to do anything outside of being good at going to uni. Decided not to go after school having spent a summer working alongside many uni idiots. (1970s)

Considered going again in my early 20s but again too many idiots (1980s) - did finally go when I was around 40 (2000s) and found the 'system' so lacking in common sense that I finally understood why so many things/systems don't work very well in the UK.

Seems going to Uni is considered a 'benchmark' with 'graduates' apparently being more able. Inexplicable to me as I found the opposite to be true.

They did degree level vocational training though.

A teacher that doesn't have a degree, and nor have they undertaken teacher training, is a different thing altogether.

LewishamMumNow · Today 20:32
I can understand your concern OP, but most "qualified" teachers with a degree, got absolutely shocking GCSEs and A-levels - rarely above a D - and that horrifies me more. If your English teacher really did get top grades then she's probably better than most teachers, who have shocking academic qualifications.

Whhooaahhhh, @LewishamMumNow... that can't be allowed to go unchallenged...kindly justify or withdraw.

Why are you just thinking about this now? A conversation you had before they broke up...so literally weeks later you are deciding it's an issue?

Yep. I'm surprised at most of the responses in this thread. At secondary level, especially by year 9, I'd expect teachers to have a degree in the subject or in one closely aligned.

I'm a retired teacher, and while I'm aware the private schools and academies can bypass QTS, I'd be concerned about a teacher that hadn't proved their academic abilities through a degree level qualification.

I can understand your concern OP, but most "qualified" teachers with a degree, got absolutely shocking GCSEs and A-levels - rarely above a D - and that horrifies me more. If your English teacher really did get top grades then she's probably better than most teachers, who have shocking academic qualifications.

You don't need a degree to become a solicitor.

Some of the best ones I worked with didn't have degrees. It's not the be all and end all.