Schools advertising for 'unqualified teachers'

[roamingespadrille]

This is what a number of our local schools are advertising. Very low pay attached to it. Job description is a full teaching job.

Medical qualifications are somewhat more meaningful, objective and vigorously assessed. Teaching qualifications are not always assessed at all, some are, but even then very very subjectively. I know a lot of PGCE students who have passed without doing very much of anything at all.

The PGCE is not totally worthless, but it is not worth an awful lot. I don't see why someone should be considered better, more experienced, more knowledgeable, etc just because they have a PGCE. Many people without are very good teachers, with far more experience, skills and knowledge.

User, you are so spectacularly missing the point. Is it deliberate?

what point am I missing exactly?

Many people without are very good teachers, with far more experience, skills and knowledge.

If they're that great, they can get themselves a teaching qualification, no? It's such a low bar, after all, and then they could be paid properly as well.

Blimey User I'd be interested to know which university these PGCE students went to, to do nothing much at all? I am coming to the end of mine now, and have never been more tired!

I have been teaching whole days for the last 4 weeks and my class teacher has supported me every day. There's no way I'd have been any good without that input.

Schools direct take people with no teaching exp, but they are mostly TAs who at least know how schools work/the terminology.

I guess I wonder why your 'reality' is so different from everyone else I have ever spoken to about schools!

If they're that great, they can get themselves a teaching qualification, no? It's such a low bar, after all, and then they could be paid properly as well.

nobody is going to waste the time and money when they can get qualified status whilst earning. Why should they?

Er user, you do realise that this thread is about people working as unqualified teachers, yes? Not people on a recognised training course like Teach First or Schools Direct?

You don't have to be on a recognised course, in fact it is so much better and simpler, not to be. If you are employed by the school your path to being qualified is so much more straightforward, than having to go through the whole palava of a PGCE and NQT year, etc, with all the baggage that brings with it.

We have several teachers I happen to know are unqualified, one from the army and two from the charity sector, all very experienced, all very knowledgeable, all employed as full time staff whilst working towards qualified status, the ease of which is the envy of our PGCE qualified NQTs

I did my PGCE at a very well-regarded institution. The teaching practice was the only bit that was really any use at all. The research stuff was mostly bandwagon bollocks and the essays were laughably easy and superficial compared with anything on my degree course. However, filling schools with unqualified, inexperienced teachers because all the experienced ones are too expensive (or have quit the profession in disgust) is appalling. It's better to improve the PGCE than just disregard it.

Sign of the times. Can pay them "instructor" salaries whilst they train, and they are up to £10k-£15k cheaper than a fully qualified, experienced teacher. Multiply that a few times and that's your budget crisis eased.

PGCE just consists of one year unpaid experience, with support and feedback

No, it's slightly more complex than that. You get paid if you get a "good degree* (1st, 2.1, or 2.2). You attend lectures and you are allocated a school and a mentor, and are observed. It's not a doddle

all employed as full time staff whilst working towards qualified status

They shouldn't be 'working towards' qualified status. The assessment only route should only take 3 months max because they should already meet all the QTS criteria and the time taken in school before being awarded QTS is to assess that they already do, not help them work towards meeting them.

The research stuff was mostly bandwagon bollocks and the essays were laughably easy and superficial compared with anything on my degree course.

Try being a maths teacher who had never written a university essay!

On my PGCE we did loads of stuff looking at the national curriculum, researching common misconceptions, reading things like The Cockcroft Report. Things I'd love to have the time to do now, tbh.

I was offered a job as an unqualified teacher with little to no experience of working in a school in the September just gone. I do have a teaching qualification, but not at a high enough level for QTS. This was a state run, non academy school.
It's far more common than you think, especially at secondary level.

I did a BEd. 4 years of rigorous, in depth learning and training in a variety of schools.
Yes, I learnt a lot during teaching placements but I really value the understanding I gained through the lectures, essays etc.

I think it's a crying shame that our profession has been so devalued.

And many teachers have a four year honours degree in education. I spent four years developing my teaching skills through practice in school supported by qualified staff.

I'm not even sure whether unqualified teachers ever do become qualified. They would on something like 'Teach Direct' but that is a planned and supported development role with graduate entry. Unqualified teaching posts suggest that's how you stay, unqualified. Much cheaper that way, no support needed so no other staff time taken for support and of course such a success ( given some opinions on here) because being a teacher is so easy.

Yes, they do become qualified

Wasn't there a Troops Into Teaching scheme? (The acronym never really took off though!) Maybe that's what your colleague did User? Are they both primary teachers or subject specialists?

Troops to Teachers never took off either. Hundreds of thousands spent on training a couple of dozen teachers I think.

Can you explain the route by which unqualified teachers at your school (which you've described elsewhere as appalling) obtained qualified status, user14?

What do you understand to be QTS?

I've just been browsing the unqualified teacher job ads. It's so bloody depressing.

"Unqualified Maths Teacher / Trainee Maths Teacher
Full time teaching position
September 2017
Ofsted rated " good " school

Are you confident in teaching and engaging with students to motivate them to learn but don't have Qualified Teaching Status?

Do you have a passion for teaching Maths?

Are you looking to work as an unqualified teacher in a school, that is keen to put graduate/ unqualified maths teachers through teacher training after a year of working as an unqualified teacher?"

Keen to put unqualified maths teachers through teacher training after a year of working as an unqualified maths teacher? If they need teacher training then don't you think they should get that first before being unleashed to work as teachers? FFS cheap cannon fodder.

User1497480444 - are you Michael Gove?

noblegiraffe, unqualified does not mean inexperienced or unskilled, many "unqualified" teachers are qualified in other countries, you do have to work two years to qualify, I believe. This add is asking for skilled and experienced individuals. And offering them the chance to become qualified, without having to take time out of earning to do so.

Or this one:
www.eteach.com/DataFiles/VacDocs/4553/780261/Personal%20Specifications.docx

Desirable qualifications: At least NVQ Level 3 or equivalent preferably HLTA status or equivalent. Experience of working in an educational setting

To be a teacher. And that's only desirable, not essential.

And offering them the chance to become qualified, without having to take time out of earning to do so.

Schools Direct. It's teacher training where you don't have to take time out of earning.

Besides, if you're remotely qualified to be a maths teacher you can get massive bursaries to do a PGCE. I really don't think that working as an unqualified teacher for a year then teacher training is the best way to become a maths teacher.

well, I know many people whom this has suited very well