In defence of holistic initial teacher education in English.

I agree with the proposals above. This is my considered opinion based on years of experience as a professional involved in English education.

It is most important that English teachers continue to receive a significant amount of their training in university - a centre for international scholarship. To confine them to ITT in one or two schools is to risk a dangerous narrowing of vision and thus to move further towards a 'training' rather than an 'educational' model of ITT, one in which we merely ask 'how do I do thi better?' rather than 'why am I doing this?'

I agree entirely with the sentiments of the petition. However, I worry that it engages at a level to which the current administration is so clearly opposed. The government are not interested in several of the arguments offered so why would they listen to them?

Perhaps future documentation could make useful reference to the recent Ofsted report that rated university based courses much more highly than school based ones. Similarly, reference could be made to the relative low-cost of university based training and to the fact that we already do many of the things that the government is presenting as radical and new.

Thank you for producing the petition. Let's hope it has some impact.

#3: Andrew McCallum - A more strategic approach 

Things can always be refined, of course, but given the pace of proposed reform it was important to get something out in the public domain quickly.  One hopes it isn't too shabby.

"I worry that it engages at a level to which the current administration is so clearly opposed. The government are not interested in several of the arguments offered so why would they listen to them?"  

Yes, you're right that they are opposed to the proposals but if everyone accepted the rather pessimistic pragmatism of your second statement, we might as well all pack up and go home whenever any administration decides to do something unwise.  I'm not saying you're incorrect, by the way...unfortunately you're on the money in the overwhelming majority of instances.