THE intertwined issues of cash and recruitment are set to dominate next week’s Labour conference and the party is working overtime in the run-up to persuade teachers it is unshakeable yet fair on the issue of performance-related pay.
But, with some commentators raising the possibility of a snap election next year to take advantage of a favourable economic climate, the faithful descending on Bournemouth must also be asking themselves whether Education Secretary David Blunkett has delivered on his many impressive promises.
Primary test results certainly look good enough to put Labour in the clear for its 2002 target.
But whatever became of fast-track graduate trainees, due to start their training this autumn (see page 5)?
This initiative is now a year behind schedule.
Here The TES charts the milestones expected in the coming years.
1999 September
Means-tested allowances for 16 to 18-year-olds from low income households in areas with few college students.
Teacher-training courses to incorporate instruction in the core subjects of English, mathematics and science.
A statutory induction year for all new teachers.
A new pound;5,000 financial incentive for all trainee teachers of maths and science.
2000
5,000 advanced skills teachers in post.
New national programme
of scholarships to be open
to 5,000 teachers.
General Teaching Council
to be up and running.
College for School Leadership
to open in September.
2001
Classes for five, six and seven-
year-olds to be restricted to 30
pupils or fewer.
Full-time education for
all excluded pupils.
An extra 20,000 full-time classroom assistant posts to have
been added since November 1998.
Literacy and information technology tests for all trainee teachers.
2002
80 per cent of 11-year-olds achieving Level 4 in English.
75 per cent of 11-year-olds achieving level 4 in maths.
500,000 more in higher education compared with 1997.
National Professional Qualification for Headship mandatory for all heads.
Paper-based communication
between councils and schools
and the Department for Education and Employment to have been largely replaced by electronic communication.
All schools, colleges, universities and libraries to be connected
to the National Grid for Learn
ing. 75 per cent of teachers and
50 per cent of pupils to have own e-mail addresses.
Measures in place for assessing the information and communications technology competence of all school-leavers.
Analysis, 24
