New regulations require all teaching staff to register by March 2008
Over 2,000 teachers and trainers have registered as members of theInstitute for Learning (IfL) since its new website and onlineregistration facility went live at the start of September increasingthe professional body’s membership to nearly 5,000.
That number is set to increase sharply because in line with new regulations that came into force at the beginning ofSeptember, all FE college teachers have to register as members of IfL, as well as undertake at least 30 hours continuing professional development (CPD)each year and abide by a code of professional practice.
Teachers new to the sector from September 2007 are additionally requiredto become licensed practitioners and achieve Qualified Teacher Learningand Skills (QTLS) status or Associate Teacher Learning and Skills (ATLS)status. Although not mandatory for them, existing teachers are alsoencouraged to become licensed practitioners, as this becomes the futurebenchmark for the sector.
Theseregulations form part of the Governments wider FE workforce reforms,which collectively support the National Improvement Strategy for FEdesigned to create a qualified workforce with a sustainable culture ofprofessionalism.
Lee Davies, operations manager at IfL, said, “We are delighted that ournew website and online registration went live successfully, on thetarget date, and that so many teachers took advantage of the newfacility to register as members over the weekend.
“There has been widespread support for professionalising the FEworkforce, and we welcome the Government’s decision to invest by meetingthe full costs of registration with IfL,” said Mr Davies. “Teachers havea seven-month window in which to register, which means that existingteachers need to register by 31 March 2008.
“In the meantime, we are raising awareness of the importance of CPD andwill shortly launch a suite of online tools to support teachers as theyreflect on their professional practice and prepare personaliseddevelopment plans. We are working closely with Lifelong Learning UK andother partner agencies to raise the status of teaching practitionersacross the sector, and are very encouraged by the support we”ve receivedso far from teachers, employers and other stakeholders.”
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