The Observer view on a positive narrative about teachers
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Version 0 of 1. Vocation is a noble word. It signals dedication and a desire to serve. A teacher might triple his or her salary by opting for a different profession instead of facing a classroom of hormonal teenagers or a group of 30-plus primary school children at hugely varied stages of development, some with complex home lives. Over several years, teachers have had to get used to being placed in the equivalent of the public stocks. Michael Gove, when he was education secretary, referred to teachers and academics who had the temerity to question some of his reforms as “the blob”. Teachers have had to endure constant overhauls of the system, they are increasingly bound in red tape and are observed and officially assessed with a frequency that few other professions would tolerate. Teaching has also had to contend with the introduction of unqualified teachers into free schools. No one disputes that there are bad teachers, as well as good, and that much needed, and still needs, to be done to improve standards of teaching in Britain. But the atmosphere in which that dialogue takes place also affects the outcome. To denigrate teachers publicly is very likely to be counterproductive. Certainly the Conservatives thought so, as they removed Gove, one of their sharpest intellects, once he had become a political liability and a block to any meaningful engagement with the majority of teachers. While the teaching industry has often been too slow to embrace change, innovation and, ironically, different forms of learning, teachers also have very legitimate concerns that are too often overlooked. Last week, teachers’ union NASUWT revealed that teachers are increasingly ridiculed and insulted by parents on social media. The full NASUWT survey, published today, shows a dramatic rise in stress, mental ill health and disenchantment with the profession. Eight out of 10 teachers say they have experienced workplace stress. Some 76% say they have seriously considered leaving their job in the last 12 months; 40% leave the profession in their first year. In any business, that would amount to a crisis. As a society, we need to stop blaming teachers for statistics such as these. It is clear that there are all kinds of factors at work – social, environmental, cultural, financial. As a society, we all shoulder the blame and the responsibility for change. Not so much a blob then, more a blot on all our copybooks. Teachers vary in quality but the best, research tells us, are given room so they can change a child’s life. They customise education to the pupil. They see a young person holistically and not solely through the lens of exam results. Nicky Morgan, who replaced Gove, has appeared more conciliatory. The workload of teachers is under scrutiny. Over the past few years, the salaries of teaching staff have improved and attempts made to encourage academic high-flyers to enter the profession. Teach First, the scheme that brings high-calibre graduates into the classroom for two years, has its enthusiasts, but too few of those recruited choose to stay. Against the odds, some in education continue to innovate and achieve even with children who have the poorest chances in life. Organisations such as Whole Education, Eos and the Aldridge Foundation are among a growing number dedicated to spreading best practice in the classroom. However, teachers in state education struggle because of a lack of flexibility and a broad-based curriculum; the decline in sport; the marginalisation of vocational learning and the reduction in pupils’ access to educational experiences that broaden horizons and raise aspirations. That needs to change. According to the NASUWT, teachers across all sectors now work an average of 60 hours a week, an 18% rise since 2010. The top five drivers of workload are inspection, school self-evaluation, administration, target setting and curriculum change. Time with pupils is not on the list. Micro-managing what happens in the classroom dents confidence and narrows opportunities for imaginative teaching, both vocational and academic. Teachers across this land, term in, term out, put in the extra mile, because they love the job and believe that education matters. A new positive narrative is needed around teaching, one that celebrates those who teach well and the manner in which they produce rounded, confident young men and women. Is there any one of us who hasn’t had the experience of being taught by a teacher who made a difference? |