We are delighted to announce and share with you a positive response to the letter sent by the Society to Damian Hinds MP, where we challenged him on two separate but interrelated issues within initial teacher education:
Decoupling of arts subjects
The DfE’s Get into Teaching website, updated for 2019-10 recruitment had classified ‘the arts’ as a single subject. The Society asked the DfE to ‘give each subject on the curriculum equal distinctiveness and authority. Bundling arts subjects together diminishes their purpose and unique offer to children and young people and society.’
The DfE have agreed to and actioned our request, and have invited a representative from the Society to work with them to ensure the unique offering of our subject is to our satisfaction.
Inequalities in ITE bursaries
We asked the DfE: ‘Why is an ITE bursary offered for music but not for art and design when music has recruited more successfully against the Teacher Supply Model for the past three years?’
The response to this issue is not to our satisfaction, and the Society will prepare a rebuttal and General Secretary Elect, Michele Gregson, will be meeting with the DfE in the New Year to continue these discussions.
