Standardising teaching: the introduction of the national standards for teaching and supporting learning in further education in England and Wales

Abstract

Standards for further education teachers in England and Wales were launched in January 1999 by the newly established Further Education National Training Organisation. They are intended to inform the initial training and continuing professional development of those involved in teaching and learning in further education. Despite an announcement by the Labour Government in The Learning Age Green Paper in 1998 that a qualification for teachers in further education would become mandatory, this decision was withdrawn at the launch of the Standards, and a more cautious wait-and-see approach announced. As part of the consultation and development process prior to the launch of the Standards, the University of Wolverhampton and partner further education colleges undertook a mapping exercise of the draft standards against the University's Further Education Certificate in Education programme, and elements of the Standards will be incorporated into the Certificate in Education from September 1999. This article discusses the implications of the Standards for FE teacher training and considers what sort of ‘teaching and learning professional’ is implied by the Standards. It argues that, in themselves, the Standards could provide a useful basis for training and development. However, they need to be considered in the wider context of education and training, including college incorporation, institutional inspection and standards. Set in this context, it is argued, they could be used as an additional means of monitoring and control, rather than the basis for the development of an innovative and forward-looking profession.