Proposals to change teacher training entry requirements

Proposals to change teacher training entry requirements would be an "absolute disaster" for university education departments, a lecturers union has warned.

Nigel Gates, chairman of the Association of University and College Lecturers warned this week that the teaching profession would lose "huge swathes" of potential recruits and that the majority of teacher training departments would be forced to close if the existing entry requirements for initial teacher training are made tougher.

The tougher entry requirements are proposed in the Teacher Training Agency's consultation documents for its new national curriculum for Initial Teacher Training. Among proposals for consultation is an invitation to "comment on the appropriateness of the entry and selection requirements". Currently, an ITT course comes with a minimum entry requirement of GCSE maths and English at Grade C. "Should a GCSE Grade B (or equivalent) be required in English and mathematics for all entrants from September 1997?" the consultation document asks.

Consultation closes on May 8.