Note

PLEASE NOTE - WORK SHOWN ON THIS BLOG IS COPYRIGHT - PLEASE CONTACT ME BEFORE ADDING TO PINTEREST OR TO ANY OTHER SITE. THANK YOU.

Monday, June 23, 2008

UK Government makes me want to spit!!

Our wonderful government has been saying for ages that we have a shortage of Design and Technology teachers in our Secondary schools, in fact they have been advertising incentives to get more teachers. HOWEVER - it really makes me want to spit when people like me cannot get into teaching!!!!!!!!!!

I would love to be able to work in a school teaching textiles - I would even happily do the Food technology bit too (I do like my food - mostly vegetarian though!! With the occasional added chunks of cheese or chocolate).... sorry got carried away drooling there. Back to my gripe...... I phoned the TDA (Training and Development Agency) for Schools today to ask how I could offer my vast array of skills in teaching. The young man came back to me with 'sorry you will have to get a degree - regulations and all that'. My City and Guilds qualifications and many many years of textile, dress making etc skills/experience count for ABSOLUTELY NOTHING.

I'm one more teacher turned away by our wise and caring government.

Get a degree I hear you cry but sadly I am too old and too poor to get a degree now - three years and I will be well over the hill in education terms let alone having got the degree I'd have to do another 1 year course to teach. (Too poor as I need an income - house, family commitments etc - can't just give up the day job to go to Uni- or at least not right now).

If only I could win on the lottery - perhaps I should ask our wise and caring government for a lottery grant to go to Uni to then be able to teach?????

2 comments:

Carol said...

Anna, as a D+T teacher of some 10 years, have you thought about going direct to your local PGCE uni.They might be able to count the work as prior aquired learning, or suggest a suitable course that coud bridge the gap.
I have to say that I have never seen the shortage mylf, there is massive competition for jobs here in wales.

Stitching with Schnauzer and Siamese said...

Have you thought about doing the SKIP course? You do your teacher training at a school and get paid... admittedly quite a pittance. Or else you could become an Higher Learning teaching assisatant, which again is "on the job" training. Or an Art technician. There are not that many schools offering textiles as a subject, except at KS3 as a part of the Technology roundabout. All very science based rather than arty.
BestWishes
Maggie