New teachers 'don’t behave or dress properly'

 
15 January 2014

Trainee teachers are being sent into schools without knowing how to dress or behave professionally, the head of Ofsted warned today.

Sir Michael Wilshaw announced a crackdown on teacher-training providers, saying they are not preparing new recruits for the rigours of the classroom.

He said it is a “national scandal” that so much money is invested in teacher training, but around 40 per cent of new entrants leave within five years.

Speaking at the North of England Education Conference in Nottingham, Sir Michael said: “We need to ask some serious questions about the effectiveness of our current system of teacher training. Is it as good as it should be? So let me be frank; I’m not sure it is.”

He added: “How many times have I heard that trainees have been sent into schools without proper guidance on professional behaviour or dress?”

Sir Michael revealed that from September all newly qualified teachers will be interviewed during school Ofsted inspections and asked how the school is supporting them.

He said if trainee teachers are struggling in the classroom, the college where they trained should share some of the responsibility, adding: “Ofsted has not been as demanding as it should have been with training providers who have sent newly qualified teachers out into schools unprepared for the rigours of the classroom.”

He added: “There is no such thing as a bad NQT (newly qualified teacher), just one that is badly trained, poorly accredited and badly supported.”

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