Friday 30 November 2012

The best teachers

One of the bits of this job I most enjoy is visiting my local schools. It is really heartening to see excellent teachers engaging their pupils and pushing them to be the brightest and the best.

To ensure as many kids as possible get that sort of excellent teaching the Government has been pushing for the best graduates to go into teaching. Now more than seven out of 10 new trainee teachers now have a high-quality degree - the highest proportion ever recorded.
The data from the Teaching Agency reveals that 71 per cent of graduates choosing to train for a career in the classroom now have a 2:1 or higher. This is a record rise of six percentage points compared to last year.
That is great news, teaching is a hard, but very rewarding profession and our children deserve the best.
Under the Coalition Government, many of the brightest and best graduates now receive a tax-free bursary of up to £20,000.
Having an excellent teacher in every classroom is clear aim of this government. Nothing matters more if we are to ensure our young people to succeed in the future.