Old dogs will avoid institute's new tricks

LECTURERS may be able to gain membership of the new Institute for Learning and Teaching without having to pass a training course.

But new academics are likely to be required to take an accredited programme, it emerged this week from a meeting of the committee charged with thrashing out a national scheme of training for teachers in higher education.

The committee, chaired by Clive Booth, will submit its proposals and ask universities to comment on them early in the New Year.

Universities look likely to be encouraged to devise their own staff development programmes according to guidelines specified by the new institute.

A shadow council for the institute is also being drawn up with representatives of lecturers unions, the funding councils, the Quality Assurance Agency, Department for Education and Employment and vice chancellors. The council will start up the institute next year. Sir Ron Dearing's report recommended the institute as a means to improve teaching quality.