Time to boot out the bad teachers

heero_yuy · 13-01-2012, 14:02

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A WAR on duff teachers will be unveiled today — with fed-up heads being given more power to kick them out.

The blitz also aims to stop flops ending up at other unsuspecting schools by forcing those that sack them to spill the beans to interviewers, unlike now.

Education Secretary Michael Gove's crackdown comes after official figures showed just 17 teachers have been sacked for incompetence in TEN YEARS.

If you're no good in any other job you get found out pretty quick and get blown out. Why should the teaching profession should be any different, after all it's your children that will suffer from duffer teachers.

Standards need to be raised and those who are unwilling or unable to make the necessary changes will just have to find something else to do other than teach.

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**Maggy J** · 13-01-2012, 14:15

Weeding out poor or unsuitable teachers should be done during training and when teacher training lasted 3/4 years that used to happen.Now it hardly ever happens before they become fully fledged staff.

I have also been an observer on situations where perfectly acceptable teaching staff liked by their pupils who don't suit the Head of Department or Senior staff have been bullied out of their job by having standards risen to an impossible high..This new scheme could give such bullies an easier way to get rid of staff who are perfectly good educators but whose face doesn't fit..Seen at least 4 cases in the last 3 years.

Ignitionnet · 13-01-2012, 16:41

Quote:

Originally Posted by heero_yuy

If you're no good in any other job you get found out pretty quick and get blown out. Why should the teaching profession should be any different, after all it's your children that will suffer from duffer teachers.

Standards need to be raised and those who are unwilling or unable to make the necessary changes will just have to find something else to do other than teach.

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Maybe we could try paying them a decent salary commensurate with the education required, the increasing pressures from students, parents and the government and the hours worked during term time.

Freeing them to spend their time actually teaching rather than doing politically motivated administration and whatever cunning and stupid scheme the government of the day invent to make themselves and their education policies look good would also be a bonus.

Between those two perhaps a higher standard of teacher would be attracted, and a number of good teachers wouldn't quit just a few years after qualifying because they get so fed up.

RizzyKing · 13-01-2012, 17:27

As with some other things i would really like to see short termism politics removed from education and whilst this sounds good in theory as Maggy said what it amounts too is if your face doesn't fit your out. What the hell is it with this country these days everything becomes a witchhunt for this and that and when you peel back the rather thin veneer it is just nasty. Bad teachers are like everything they will be seen in their results and i am really hoping this system will be based on that.

Osem · 14-01-2012, 10:38

Our eldest's school has more than it's fair share of poor teachers and nothing ever seems to be done about them. It's unfair on the pupils and the rest of the teaching staff who are often required to make up the difference in one way or another. Sadly, a number of the worst offenders have been there for years and the school's progress in recent years has been in spite of their 'contribution' not because of it.

**Maggy J** · 14-01-2012, 10:59

Surely increasing the training period would be a far better means of weeding out unsuitable candidates? Cheaper too.

Taf · 14-01-2012, 11:15

Our kids suffered bad grades due to bad teachers in school, now both are suffering due to bad tutors in colege! The powers that be know that they have these very poor teachers but the ranks have closed and they're all protecting each others jobs as usual.

heero_yuy · 14-01-2012, 12:29

Quote:

Originally Posted by Maggy J

Surely increasing the training period would be a far better means of weeding out unsuitable candidates? Cheaper too.

The problem as I see it is that in teaching like many other professions such as engineering, there are individuals that have a natural ability in the subject and training really only equips them with the additional tools and knowledge to enable them to apply that ability.

Then there is the second tranche of individuals who have a desire to succeed in the chosen profession but IMHO will only be second rate despite any amount of training and whilst in many carears they can be placed where they cannot cause damage as their work is supervised and vetted by experienced peers I feel that this would be difficult in teaching where children really only get one chance.

Of course there's the dunderheads who should never be allowed anywhere near and one would hope that the training courses would weed them out but in our stupid culture of today where "every one wins prizes" and "deferred success"

that seems to pervade the educational establishment, I do wonder.

**Maggy J** · 14-01-2012, 14:51

Quote:

Originally Posted by Taf

Our kids suffered bad grades due to bad teachers in school, now both are suffering due to bad tutors in colege! The powers that be know that they have these very poor teachers but the ranks have closed and they're all protecting each others jobs as usual.

As a teacher I'm all for getting rid of poor ones BUT I think that a proper system has to be in place to ensure that no one is treated unfairly by some poor and crap head teachers of whom I have suffered under myself.

There is at present no good,short mechanism to get rid of such people..Not every good teacher is a natural Head of Department or Deputy Head or Headmaster and many don't have the necessary management skills to run a department or a school.Bet Gove hasn't considered that aspect at all.

papa smurf · 14-01-2012, 15:09

Quote:

Originally Posted by Maggy J

As a teacher I'm all for getting rid of poor ones BUT I think that a proper system has to be in place to ensure that no one is treated unfairly by some poor and crap head teachers of whom I have suffered under myself.

There is at present no good,short mechanism to get rid of such people..Not every good teacher is a natural Head of Department or Deputy Head or Headmaster and many don't have the necessary management skills to run a department or a school.Bet Gove hasn't considered that aspect at all.

gove just wants to do away with inconvenient employment laws that stand in his way ,so he and his masters can ride roughshod over peoples rights

martyh · 14-01-2012, 16:59

Quote:

Originally Posted by papa smurf

gove just wants to do away with inconvenient employment laws that stand in his way ,so he and his masters can ride roughshod over peoples rights

The problem is that chiefly within the public sector as a whole there is a reluctance to sack anyone for incompetance .I deal closely with council officials ,teachers like Maggie will see it at schools ,nobody is challenged if they don't actually know what they are doing .Employment rights should not be a protection if a person can't do the job they are payed for

Pierre · 14-01-2012, 19:03

If someone is not doing their job properly they should be given as much support as possible to attain the level they should be at and performance managed. If they then still cannot perform adequately then letting them go is reasonable.

What I find distasteful is the rhetoric coming from the government.

I'd rather read a headline that said government to support teachers so that all can reach the desired level, than a threatening statement such as, you'll all be sacked