Get foundation qualifications!

Get foundation qualifications!

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All part-time teachers, tutors, lecturers, facilitators, no matter who they are, where they live, how many hours a week they work or what subjects and learners they teach SHOULD have foundation teaching qualifications and relevant formal training.

This doesn't mean everyone must have the City & Guilds 7306. Indeed, APTT's policy is to encourage all part-timers to find accredited training that suits them and their subject. This might be the City & Guilds 7306, 7307, 7323 or other such generally acceptable certification, but also could include a diverse range of other possible equivalent qualifications (i.e. similar level and content of training).

What is VITAL is that we should ALL have basic qualifications and training as teachers, both for the sake of the quality and standard of work offered with our students AND in order to insure that we can maintain high quality terms and conditions of work.

All training should address national standards in order to be at all valid outside of the immediate working routine and for long-term career prospects. Tutors should refuse courses that do not address national standards (what's the point of having a qualification that isn't of any use outside of a particular field or employer?)

It is the responsibility of all educational providers not only to make sure that all their teaching staff have suitable foundation teaching certificates, but that where they don't, suitable training is found and offered free of charge (and with due financial support where necessary!).

It is the responsibility of tutors to pressurise providers to make sure foundation training is consistently offered, and that they themselves are suitably qualified.

In the close future in the UK it is very likely that part-time adult educators will need standard qualifications in order to have acceptability and 'Qualified Teacher Status' (QTS). This is likely to mean a primary level of certification (equivalent to Part 1 of City & Guilds 7306 or 7307) for all, but with encouragement to gain full qualification later (full 7306 or 7307 or Cert. Ed. FE) depending on work and responsibilities. It is my opinion that all part-timers should be looking toward gaining Cert. Ed. FE or equivalent as time passes. No hurry just yet.... but it should be a long-term aim for most of us!

NB: Foundation qualifications are a must! But... click HERE for more info!