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Schools' Minister condemns 'rubbish universities'!!!

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Generally, I'd agree.

But for subjects like Physics, I would have thought that even the 'rubbish universities' would have semi-reasonable content. Certainly enough to teach A Level.

Reply 41

elldee

Course he isn't right. How can he judge so called 'rubbish universities', doesn't take a genius to work out that hes probably never even experienced one...
Hes a dick anyway tbh

Reply 42

Complex Simplicity

How many more times must it be said: Just because you're intelligent doesn't mean you can teach.

One of the worst teachers I've ever had was a Chemistry graduate from Cambridge. It is highly worrying that the School's Minister can display such a spectacular degree of naivety and such a lack of insight in his own field!

Reply 43

morecambebay

Most teachers will tell you that a lot of the content in pgce's is a waste of time. It is all just the latest crap from government. It really isnt that good at creating strong teachers.

If we want strong teachers why dont we start by making them actually have to live in the 'real' world for a while? How can somebody who has gone straight from school to uni- and then straight back into a school again hope to prepare kids for the future? They are institunionalised.

What about raising their A level and gcse requirements? ... It somewhat damages a childs respect for their teacher when they realise that they dont know anything. We have all been in a classroom and seen a teacher say something which is just plain wrong.

Oh, and they should probably actually have to like kids...not just be there for the safe pay cheque.

Edit: I think maybe it depends on whether the students WANT to learn or not. Kids who have to be forced to learn would probably be better with a teacher who can work them around. But kids who want to learn would be better with a teacher who is a fountain of knowledge.

Reply 44

alexmason14

You spelt "Conservative" wrong? Unless you do actually mean conversative.

Reply 45

im so academic

S-man10

So you would have a Oxbridge graduate as a teacher then?

Yep, but I'm highly biased.

Reply 46

yesioo

Basically this thread has been done already, tories are ******* and I'd rather have someone who can make me learn better, than someone who knows a lot but doesn't know how to distribute these ideas across.

I agree with this.

Reply 47

NDGAARONDI

He graduated from my university. Ugh.

Reply 48

aeterno

Oh joy. Another thread that brilliantly portrays the snobbery of TSR. :rolleyes:

Reply 49

LizB

As people have said it's not where they got the degree from it's how good a teacher they are. If you want to improve teaching standards you need to address the fact that when you get incompetant teachers it's nearly impossible to stop them teaching. We've all been there when a really awful teacher completely ruins a subject for you. My favourite teacher was an Oxford graduate, but was that why she was my favourite? No way, she was my favourite because she was passionate and inspiring.

Qualifications don't neccessarily make for a good learning experience, by Biology teacher had a Phd and she was AWFUL and I mean awful. She consistantly dragged everyones grades down and couldn't control a class of, for the most part, academically engaged A-level students who WANTED to learn.

You can't just tar the universities with the brush of "rubbish" either. Thames Valley Uni is a joke but it's Midwifery course is well respected from what I understand. They have their strengths and weaknesses like any other institutions but they do fill a gap in the market. It's simple supply and demand.

Reply 50

Complex Simplicity

morecambebay

*sigh*
You're point is valid but your justifications are flawed. Teachers should know their subject and should 'like children.'; indeed one of the measures of incompetence by GTC is a teacher who doesn't like children. However, A level standards, and real world experience are bad solutions.

1. How a teacher performed in gcses and a levels is not indicative of how they're performed at degree levels. There are such things as 'late bloomers!'

2. A degree has far more advanced content than anything in a level. At my uni, we covered the entire a level chemistry syllabus in our first 3 weeks.

3. Teaching is an art form, a gift. You either have the ability to break down complicated information in an interesting manner, or you don't. No amount of life experience is going to change this.

We need better regulation, to keep bad teachers out. We need to attract more teachers to the profession by dispelling the negative perception of pay and lack of prestige. We don't need to raise the requirements of GCSEs!

Reply 51

Don John

I had an Oxbridge graduate teacher who was crap

Reply 52

machiavelli123

Really qute old news. Seen threads on this 'controversial statement' so often it gave me a sense of deja vu. :yawn:

Reply 53

xmarilynx

I disagree. Someone can be brilliant at their subject, but a terrible teacher. My Chemistry teacher had a PHD and I believe was quite well known in his subject area, but he was a terrible teacher (until A Level apparently, when the classes were smaller and his students more motivated) - boring, couldn't explain anything, definitely couldn't control the class... I'd rather have someone from an average university that's interested enough in teaching to gain extra qualifications in it - not least because I doubt there's that much difference between what's covered and expected at degree level (certainly outside Oxbridge) anyway I'm sure even at the lowest university on the league table (not that they're the best indicator, but still) the degree content goes far, far beyond anything at GCSE or A Level.

Reply 54

jumpingjesusholycow

I agree that, on balance, an Oxbridge applicant is generally more likely to be sought after as an employee than someone who wasn't, but there is a reason that we have PGCEs. They are necessary.

Reply 55

sungirl

TheSownRose

But some are.

You must be studying at ARU, right? So do you think it's worth the money, time and stress for such a uni?

Reply 56

morecambebay

Complex Simplicity

1)Late bloomers can re take exams. They should be expected to know everything that the kids are trying to learn. how can you convince kids that learning is important when they know that some of their teachers dont know the subject matter that is being forced on them?

2)..and yet teachers manage to say things about their subject which are plain wrong without noticing.

3) life experience wouldnt give them the gift, but it would give them experience of the world that they are trying to prepare kids for.

Reply 57

S.R

danny111

Spot on.

Already used my rep today though. Remind me tomorrow if you really want it.

Ooh my first ever positive rep. Thanks' i'll send you a reminder tomorrow.

Reply 58

S-man10

im so academic

Yep, but I'm highly biased.

Yeah because your automatically assuming that graduating from Oxbridge equals success in whatever you do.

Seriously I have had crap teachers from the best universities. They could never communicate a concept properly. You would then start to question their academic prowess.