I for one am not surprised to hear that Teacher Training Agency secretary Stephen Hillier “would certainly want to encourage industry to encourage their staff to make the move towards teaching”.
The Government clearly plans to blur the distinction between education and employment. This is epitomised by the merger of the Departments of Employment and Education but can also be seen in proposals to introduce two-year work experience programmes for 14-year-olds and to encourage older workers to take “study breaks” every few years. Getting industrialists to teach is simply a natural progression.
When the boss can’t face telling a highly qualified member of staff to “take a study break”, telling them to “take a teacher-training course” is a less embarrassing alternative.
I would suggest, however, that this is not a sign of an upturn in the economy but a symptom of a deepening recession. Not only can the Government not provide us with a decent job, it can’t provide children with a decent education either.
JOANNA WILLIAMS 4 James Street Birmingham.
