Completely agree, and I think a lot of this goes unnoticed and not reported to parents by schools.

It always worth reflecting on the excellent strategies of our education system.

Invent a GTC to maintain standards of excellence in education. All qualifed teachers answerable to this robust body of seamless excellence and professional practice.

Recruit unqualifed staff to teach who are not answerable to the GTC's standards.

This is excellent stuff. Now I am know I am not to smart so I have to trust  higher minds than my own.

This is satire of the Catch 22 variety- except it ain't satire.

Where's my response Ms. Keates ?

One of our cover supervisors (actually the main CS), can't pass GCSE Maths or English.  She has taken the exams and equivalent several times but has failed repeatedly!  I've heard her 'teaching' pupils the wrong thing in the classroom, but she keeps the children in line and that is what seems to be important. 

Now I find out that teachers have to be educated to masters level as a minimum and that they are going to be licensed - something that has to be renewed every few years.  Now how can that be right?  Are qualified teachers to be hounded out of the profession and replaced by unqualified staff?

Parents are probably not aware of the status of the 'teacher' in front of their children in the most part.  I am sure that if they were fully aware of the number of unqualified staff being used to cover / teach in school there would be more complaints.

I worked in a school for my teaching practice and could not believe how many lessons 'CS's' were used for teaching. The fact that they were used to cover PPA for the same lessons each week meant that they were actually leading the programmes of study for those particular subjects (OK - it was 'only PSHE and PE' but these are just as important to children's development as maths and english in mine and, many other's eyes) It's all about saving money.

I have struggled to find a permanent job as an NQT and now I am stuggling to get supply work 'cos schools just don't want to pay for it (and isn't supply expense claimed back partially by the school anyway )  The whole situation is gradually getting out of control - TEACHERS NEED TO TEACH IT IS WHY WE SLOG OUR GUTS OUT IN THE TRAINING PROCESS.

And I have to add that I was a TA for three years before my PGCE and looking back I knew nothing when it came to the content of teaching and the theories of pedagogy, how lessons should be structured etc - een though I saw it happen everyday. It is no offence to TA's who do an excellent job but unless you have been through the training process you don't understand the half of it. AND to then to be able to teach independently - disaster waiting to happen. Not fair to all involved except the schools budget