WIREDGOV

The Institute for Learning (IfL) has confirmed that it will again operate as a voluntary, professional membership organisation, in light of the interim report of an independent review of professionalism in the further education and skills sector. The government intends to consult on removing the 2007 regulations requiring the sector’s teachers and trainers to be qualified and registered as IfL members.

Toni Fazaeli, IfL’s chief executive, said, “Since its creation as an independent professional body 10 years ago – by further education teachers, trade unions, employers and others – IfL has worked to increase the professional status of teachers and trainers; to offer benefits that support professional excellence; and to enable members’ perspectives to inform policy and decision-making.

“IfL will continue to strengthen its distinctive role in providing the practitioner’s perspective and ensuring that advocacy is based on evidence from teachers and trainers. No other organisation in the sector does what we do. Thousands of IfL members, supported by regional advisers and hundreds of volunteers, have shown their commitment by engaging with their professional body, supporting each other’s CPD and taking part in focus groups on teaching and training, subject-related and other online communities of practice, surveys, events and consultations.

“IfL has done everything asked of it in terms of the regulations, and more: registering teachers and trainers; supporting teachers’ continuing professional development (CPD); conferring the professional licensed practitioner status of Qualified Teacher Learning and Skills (QTLS); and undertaking additional research and development to support professionalism in the sector. The review’s report makes the mistake of conflating IfL with the regulations and in condemning the latter criticises IfL as if it were responsible for them. This is not the case. Governments make regulations and are responsible for ensuring that they are enforced.

“IfL’s achievements in a regulated environment have extended beyond its regulatory remit to giving members status, CPD opportunities and a voice. For example, IfL supported over 18,000 teachers’ and trainers’ CPD last year. With others in the sector, IfL successfully campaigned for teachers and trainers with QTLS to be recognised as qualified teachers in schools settings as well as further education, for individuals to have status and career flexibility, and to enable colleges to develop strategic partnerships with joint teaching in schools.

“IfL is starting to make a real difference to the way the sector thinks about CPD, based on extensive evidence from thousands of practitioners and various IfL research projects, including one on ‘leading learning’, in partnership with the 157 Group. We welcome the government’s acknowledgement that staff should be empowered to take responsibility for their own professional development, ‘supported where they choose by voluntary professional body membership’.”

Sue Crowley, IfL’s elected chair, said, “Despite my grave concerns about the recommendation that initial teacher training should be optional, I am optimistic about the future of the teaching and training profession in further education and skills. This optimism is born of witnessing the expertise, deep professional commitment and resilience that teachers and trainers demonstrate in their practice, week-in, week-out, for the benefit of millions of young and adult learners.
 
“IfL’s elected board is dedicated to supporting and doing the very best for all teachers and trainers, with them developing IfL as the modern, forward-thinking professional body focused on serving them and meeting their needs. The board is exploring routes to Royal Society status and investigating prestigious partnership opportunities with a number of highly regarded organisations. We plan to consult members as soon as possible on options for the future.
 
“IfL’s priority is to develop the range of benefits and support offered to individual members for their practice to stay or become excellent. Our commitment is to strengthen IfL’s role as the independent, voluntary professional membership body for teachers and trainers. I have confidence in our future and the thousands of teachers and trainers who have chosen to engage with us. It is indeed the ‘sense of solidarity with fellow professionals’ (as mentioned in the interim report) that will enable us to continue to make a difference together.”