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Press Release

Statement on making teaching a masters level profession

7 March 2008

Voice: the union for education professionals (previously PAT) has commented on the DCSF's plans to make teaching a masters degree level profession, to be announced on 7 March 2008.

General Secretary Philip Parkin said: “Voice is in favour of raising the professional status of teaching and believes that working towards a masters level profession would be a significant way of achieving this. However, the elements of timing and funding are critical to the success or failure of the scheme.

"Voice believes that rigorous selection of the right candidates for initial teacher training and a quality training and guaranteed induction period* would be more effective in raising standards and retaining people in the workforce than the additional burden of completing a Masters in the first five years of teaching.

"It is well documented that this is a period of high workload and greatest danger of drop out from the profession. The addition of having to complete a Masters would only exacerbate this situation unless it formed part of the induction process. This would have the added advantage of ensuring that every entrant to teaching received a high quality induction experience and that an all-masters profession would be achieved over time.

"Voice feels that a better approach would be to have a two-year induction period at the end of which the Masters would be awarded. This would be similar to other professions where training towards qualification continues when entrants take up their first posts.

"Voice looks forward to working with DCSF, TDA and other social partners in developing and taking forward these proposals."

Notes

The Professional Association of Teachers (PAT) became Voice: the union for education professionals, on 28 February 2008:

http://www.voicetheunion.org.uk/index.cfm/page/_sections.contentdetail.cfm/navid/126/parentid/325/id/1058/_sa/17,

The DCSF first announced plans to make teaching a Masters level profession in the Children's Plan of December 2007 http://www.dfes.gov.uk/publications/childrensplan/

* PAT/Voice press release: 2 November 2007: New teachers need guaranteed posts to complete their training
http://www.voicetheunion.org.uk/index.cfm/page/_sections.content.cfm/cid/1063/navid/329/parentid/306



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Voice: the union for education professionals

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