Do you think that primary teachers should have a degree?

[Rumpel]

I am relying on the wealth of experience and strong opinions of all you Mnetters out there to discuss this topic so that I can see how the general opinion lies. TIA

A degree in an academic subject that is relevant to being a teacher ought also to provide teachers with the skills necessary for life long learning.

Teacher training needs to be more firmly rooted in science and empirical research.

The Scottish govt has a pet dream of having all teachers educated to Masters level.

I think there is a lot to be said for having lead teachers for literacy and numeracy with Masters level qualifications in each primary school. Whilst teaching remains a low status profession, I can't see this taking off except for those who are keen to get out of the classroom into management.

At secondary, both DC had teachers with MA qualifications (and 1 with PhD) in their subject. Their passion, in depth knowledge and enthusiasm for their individual subjects had a definite impact on the children they taught.

There are those that have got it and there are those that have definitely not got it and how that degree was structured is not material in my opinion. The same applies to well educated TAs, they are frequently able with the experience they have to get the relevant qualification to become a degree qualifed teacher.

The real difference that, as a governor, you notice is how good the training has been. Many have a good knowledge of the theory but actually it is the practical teaching, classroom techniques and behaviour moderation that is as important. We have had trainees in school who were superb, we have had some where we sent them back after a week as being totally unsuited to teaching and woefully lacking in skills.

One of the reasons I believe that we have such a large drop out rate in the first couple of years of teaching is the lack of suitable preparation by the colleges, by the schools where they receive training being far to nice about it and not ditching those that do not make the grade and thirdly the college effectively giving some people the degree qualification when they should not have been.

There has been talk of the PGCE becoming a masters level qualification ... Maybe it would be - a year of intensive study on top of a degree.
All teachers should be educated to degree level and have excellent spelling and grammar skills. The actual degree is more relevant in high school.

The same applies to well educated TAs, they are frequently able with the experience they have to get the relevant qualification to become a degree qualifed teacher.

I was told that teacher trainees who had previously worked as TAs had the highest drop out rate on a local ITT course with workload given as the main reason.

Yes. I think they should.

Don't they all have degrees nowadays?

The teachers on our primary post their qualifications on the school website, and, barring one teacher who is about 60, they all have at least an undergraduate degree.

Sadly, in many of their cases, this has not proved a barometer of intelligence or competence.

Considering how many people go to university these days, I would be very concerned about a teacher not being able to get themselves a degree.
Not comparable with generations previous in any way, shape or form.

I'm foreign, I didn't know you can become a teacher without a degree in England!

I don't know. My first instinct is to say yes, they should. My year 6 dd is frequently taught by a HLTA (as in for weeks at a time) who definitely doesn't. I don;t know why it makes me feel uneasy?

You can't. You need a degree and that's how it should be, along with a teaching qualification. This second requirement is being eroded by this government in order to lessen the power of teachers in society, they're doing a good job of it too.

llhj So how come a HLTA can teach a year 6 class for a good few weeks? and regularly 2-3 days a week, on their own?

llhj So how come a HLTA can teach a year 6 class for a good few weeks? and regularly 2-3 days a week, on their own?

I knew this would be your post rumple 😉

I think all teachers should have a degree potentially a masters after their undergraduate degree, teaching is a professional demanding job and should he respected as one.

They shouldn't be is the simple answer. Doesn't matter how amazing they may be. You should contact the head and express your well founded concern.

Yes- they should have a proper degree from a proper university, not an OU 'degree' which was 95% coursework that was heavily "edited" by friends and only one exam that they got a crap mark in (bitter about local school teaching staff)!

I don't really mind if they do or not. But they need to have sound basic literacy (things like punctuation, spelling) and numeracy and a grasp of science (so as not to, for example, tell a child that the Sun is a planet - happened to a friend of a friend's child). I think there should be some kind of test of this. It is unfortunately possible for someone to have a degree but be unable to spell, punctuate, capitalise letters appropriately or construct a coherent paragraph. I've taught people like this in a university setting - they were Education students taking an English Lit module. The standards of literacy were shockingly bad. I find it worrying that they are soon to be out in schools teaching children.

Irvine you can't

Eastwest there is a test

thanks llhj it isn't that I think the HLTA is no good (she is lovely) or anything like that but I was still concerned.
Can anyone tell me what a HLTA has to do to become one?

In theory I'm all for teachers having MAs if this will ensure the basic literacy is there, but it's so expensive and the starting salary for teachers is comparatively low, it's a high-stress job with well-publicised challenges... how do you persuade people it's worth their while?

Glad to hear it! ( re test)