I was recently asked to comment upon the Department for Education’s consultation regarding proposed changes to allow schools to employ industry experts to work as instructors in schools more easily. This consultation is geared towards secondary schools and is designed to address the current quality of vocational training, as recommended in the Wolf Report.

This proposal follows recent moves to elevate the status of QTLS and allow qualified teachers from the FE sector to take up posts in compulsory education.

At this year’s BETT conference, Gove also expressed his belief that IT professionals from the world of Microsoft, Google et al could have an important role to play in the new era of UK education.

These debates take me back to the National Agreement in 2004 when primary headteachers were given the opportunity to appoint unqualified teachers who possessed specialist qualifications in their field and whom they deemed “competent” to work under the supervision of class teachers whilst facilitating their PPA time.