Lecturers will hear calls next week for a national register of qualified lecturers to raise standards in post-16 education.
The Association of Teachers and Lecturers’ conference will debate the proposal, one of several motions calling for lecturers to enjoy more status and pushing for a new recruitment drive in colleges.
The proposal for nationally-recognised qualified lecturer status and a national register of professional teaching staff is the idea of Cambridge Regional College lecturer Chris Wilson.
He said: “I think it’s right for ATL to be as concerned with professional qualifications as it is with terms and conditions.
“The timing is also important because it comes against a background of changes in attitudes towards FE. As a lecturer I’m concerned about the qualifications I hold and those of others.”
The proposal echoes Labour’s commitment to introduce compulsory teacher training for all new FE lecturers, contained in shadow education minister Bryan Davies’s speech earlier this month.
Mr Davies also promised research into teacher training for lecturers and a staffing review in the sector. ATL members will also consider forging closer links with the Association of University Teachers.
