The decision on whether to allow Teach First into Scotland will be a seminal moment akin to Emmanuel Macron’s rise to power in France, according to an expert on the history of Scottish education.

But the education sector is split on whether the move will actually happen. While some predict that the introduction of a modified version of the fast-track teacher-training scheme is now almost certain, many others remain sceptical that Teach First will appear north of the border at all.

Professor Lindsay Paterson, of the University of Edinburgh’s School of Social and Political Science, told Tes Scotland that “one thing is fairly certain: the publicity [around Teach First] is making this into a test case of how determined the Scottish government is to reform the institutional structures of education, and to reform how policy is made”.

He added: “It is, in a sense, Swinney’s ‘Macron moment’: to get anything done, it is necessary to overcome institutions and organisations that have resisted change. So, whether Teach First does come to Scotland or not, the outcome will tell us a great deal about the balance of power between the Scottish government and civic institutions.”

President Macron swept to power in May with a political party formed only a year previously, in what was seen as a rejection of establishment institutions. Another expert on Scottish education institutions, Tom Bryce, emeritus professor at the University of Strathclyde, also believes that bringing Teach First to Scotland would represent a historic shift.

Professor Bryce, who co-edits the reference book Scottish Education, explained that a teacher-education model that “sidestepped” or “bypassed” universities for independent or commercial training bodies would result in “every safeguard” around teacher education being “emasculated” and leave central government with excessive power.

Teach First has hit the headlines frequently since Tes Scotland revealed in June that it could be coming to Scotland, including reports that the Prince of Wales lobbied the Scottish government on behalf of Teach First in 2012 and that, in 2011, officials from the charity indicated to Education Scotland that they would like to see the General Teaching for Council for Scotland (GTCS) disbanded.

However, a Twitter poll (see right) suggested that many believe Teach First will not come to Scotland, although some senior figures in higher education privately told Tes Scotland that there seemed a high chance of a modified form appearing, perhaps with a remit to address science, technology and engineering (Stem) teacher shortages.

Larry Flanagan, general secretary of the EIS teaching union, said: “Teach First seems to be desperately seeking publicity, which perhaps suggests it doesn’t have a Scottish university partner, without which it cannot proceed.”

However, Seamus Searson, general secretary of the Scottish Secondary Teachers’ Association, said: “I fear with the pressure to find a quick solution, and pressure from HRH Prince Charles, [the Scottish government] may bend.”

Primary objectives

A number of the recent media stories about Teach First came through freedom of information requests submitted by further education lecturer and writer James McEnaney, who told Tes Scotland: “There’s no doubt that Teach First are absolutely determined to get into Scotland and the signs are that the Scottish government is keen for this to happen, even if they won’t say so publicly.”

Teach First executive director James Westhead said the charity’s “primary objective” was to tackle the attainment gap and improve the education of children from the most deprived communities - “a goal we share with the Scottish government and the many other people we have spoken with already in Scotland”. He added: “We are confident that the available evidence demonstrates that our model works elsewhere around the world, and believe a bespoke programme could complement, not compete with, existing pathways in Scotland.

“We have not yet seen the specification for the Scottish government’s proposals for a new route into teaching, but we will examine it carefully once it is published to assess our suitability as a potential bidder.”

A spokeswoman for the GTCS said that it had had discussions with Teach First “on a few occasions over the years” but that “the principle of meeting the GTCS Standards for Registration before becoming a teacher will continue in Scotland”.

She added that “we are also working with universities to offer a range of more flexible-entry options to teaching and this work will continue” and that meeting full GTCS standards “will remain the benchmark for aspiring teachers.”

A Scottish government spokesman said it was finalising the tender specification for a new route into teaching and anticipated that “a number of parties will be interested in bringing forward proposals”.

He added: “We are clear that this new route into teaching will require both the involvement of a university to maintain academic rigour and GTCS accreditation.

“The primary aim of this programme is to broaden the range of people entering the teaching profession while giving them the skills and knowledge they need to excel at teaching. This is not about fast-tracking the qualification of new teachers.”

@Henry_Hepburn