Meeting of the Parliament 17 May 2017
Over the past few months, the Education and Skills Committee has held meetings on teacher training and on wider related issues—namely, additional support needs and personal and social education. The evidence that has been presented to us is stark and cannot be ignored. In many cases in which young people who have an identified additional support need are not being supported, the problem has started with issues in teacher education.
We have heard some infamous examples—for example, how one member of staff was told to watch the sitcom “The Big Bang Theory” in order to learn about Asperger’s syndrome. That is a single incident, but unfortunately it is not entirely unique. Fully qualified teachers and people in training tell us that they do not have the training and resources that are needed for them properly to support young people with additional support needs. They have told us what the problem is—where the weak links in our education system lie. We can all hear what they are asking for, and I have to say that it is not a governance review.
Teacher training courses at universities vary greatly when it comes to covering additional support needs; sometimes, it is even optional. I accept, as other members have, that it is not our role to instruct universities what should and should not be in their courses, but that does not leave us entirely powerless.
ASN training is heavily reliant on cascade learning, whereby trainees learn through observing teachers in the classroom. It should be of little surprise that that has resulted in something of a postcode lottery. If a student is fortunate enough to do their placement with a teacher who has the time and the experience, that is great. However, for many trainee teachers that is not the case. One teacher told us clearly that
“The current cascade model of skills transmission is... inadequate”
and said,
“I believe this to be a direct result from budget saving cuts”.
It is not difficult to see why.
Since 2010, we have lost one in seven ASN teachers, and we are well used to hearing the statistic that since 2007 more than 4,000 teachers have gone. In the evidence that the committee received, we learned that many trainee teachers just do not receive the support that they need from their mentors. I make it clear that those trainees were not blaming the teachers with whom they were placed; they recognised that the teachers have an unsustainable workload, so teacher workload today is having a direct impact on the quality of training of the next generation of teachers.
That lottery of experiences does not affect only ASN, but its effects are felt particularly in that area. The Education and Skills Committee has called for more co-ordination between education authorities in order to ensure consistency in design and delivery. We also called for a review into how funding limitations have impacted on the number of specialist-trained ASN teachers and assistants. With one in four pupils now being identified as having an additional support need and many more having not yet been identified, it is clear that all teachers must have a baseline of expertise that is drawn from the theory and practical elements of their course.
Obviously, the support that is required will vary greatly depending on the condition—from a little bit of extra time with the teacher to high-intensity support and a requirement for specialist staff. We should not, and do not, expect every teacher to have comprehensive knowledge of every kind of additional support need, but baseline knowledge is essential. Initial teacher education—especially postgraduate teacher education—is already crammed full of essential topics, and we cannot expect every teacher to have absolutely every element of training. However, as the committee heard this morning, with that clear baseline they will at least know where to start, and with access to proper support and high-quality training opportunities throughout their career, teachers can continue to develop their skills as needed.
Teachers need more consistent high-quality training and they need adequate resources—and so do our young people.
16:34