Time for teachers to claim your college

This comment article is written by Bristol North West MP, Charlotte Leslie

If there’s one universal complaint from teachers, it’s that politicians have taken over in the classroom. My father has just retired as a surgeon, and however much politicians might fiddle around with NHS targets, and restructurings, thankfully no politician ever told my dad how to perform a wrist operation.  

But this is exactly what teachers have to put up with – politicians and civil servants who have usually never taught, deciding on curriculum and teaching methods.

Not only do politicians and civil servants not seem entirely the best people to be telling teachers how to teach, there is also the disadvantage that what teachers are told is likely to change at least every five years, if not more frequently. This leaves teachers exhausted from trying to accommodate the latest ruling from Whitehall and Westminster, and stripped of energy and time to devote to their own development as a professional, and to devote to their pupils.   

Politics hates a vacuum, and trying to push politics out of the classroom without having anything solid to usurp its place is a Canute-like venture.  

But an answer is finally at hand, and, in embryonic form, is coming to Bristol in November for discussion.

A Royal College of Teaching, along the lines of the Medical Royal Colleges, is an idea that has found its time. It enjoys support from across the educational and political spectrum, with not only support from all three major parties, but also varying levels of support from the teaching unions.

The idea is that the College of Teaching would be a home for professional standards and excellence; set up and driven by teachers, with a strict focus on evidence-based excellent teaching standards and professional development of its members. Membership would be voluntary, ensuring that the college would have to offer something of worth to individuals to earn their membership subscription, and have to offer more professionally developed teachers to prospective employers, in order to succeed and exist at all.

Importantly, it would not encroach upon the unions’ valid role of looking after teachers’ pay and conditions, and would seek to enhance, perhaps accredit, and incorporate good work that unions themselves have taken on in continuing professional development for their members. 

First, it could provide a proper hub, so that like a newly qualified doctor, qualification is seen as the beginning of the professional journey, not the end, with a future filled almost solely with lesson plans, admin and homework-marking as some teachers have told me it seems.  

Second, it could provide a practice-based career ladder, from member of the college to Master or Fellow; so that teachers who wanted to progress but remain classroom focused, not moving into management, could climb this progression ladder, and in doing so, take on a more formal role in mentoring newer teachers. This already happens in the best settings, but a royal college could take this best-case scenario and begin to make it a base expectation of what a teachers’ professional life looks like.

Eventually, a successful, proven royal college may take over, in conjunction and enhanced with and by subject associations, curriculum design and set the standards to which Ofsted inspects.  

But it cannot be hijacked by politicians like me – we can only encourage, publicise, facilitate and then stand well back, and keep our grubby political mitts off.

Most importantly, it must be driven by teachers themselves; teachers who see merit for their professional life in this idea, who drive it in the direction they need in order to ever-improve the teaching of our children.

There is an exciting opportunity to do this on November 6. The first  ‘roadshow’ to discuss the idea is going to be held in Bristol. If you are a teacher and are interested in attending, either contact me at charlotte.leslie.mp@parliament.uk or go to claimyourcollege.wordpress.com  – the new evolving blog for the idea which has more details.

Further reading for the dedicated and interested can be found at www.tdtrust.org/rcot.

Teachers, if you’re fed up with us politicians messing about with your work, this is a once in a generation opportunity to change things. Get involved, spread the word! #claimyourcollege