Page 12 - ELG1804 Apr Issue 456

NEWS FEATURE . NEWS
wriggle room ? staff will have a general level of actually needs. But how about the An El Gazette investigation in
Too much
education normally represented
teacher who was planning to enrol
March revealed that nearly half of
on a Diploma? Or the one who had
by a Level 6 qualification.’ Level
all UK language centres employ
6 is the level of an undergraduate
already failed it?
non-graduate teachers. But at Nile,
Not to mention the fifteen
degree.
However, centres are allowed a teachers whose rationales were we believe that the requirement
in the UK accreditation scheme
little wriggle room. The handbook accepted because they had for teachers to have ‘a Level 6
The British Council accepts the majority of goes on to say: ‘Exceptionally, enrolled in a Level 6 programme qualification’ should be changed.
rationales given by language centres for the employment of any academic and then dropped out? We see the value of requiring
Perhaps the most perplexing case
employing non-graduates, Melanie Butler finds staff without the appropriate is the sheer number of teachers a Level 6 qualification (usually
interpreted as a first degree) in
general level of education may be
acceptable with the provision of a whose rationales are accepted on that it implies a level of language
As the EL Gazette revealed last inspection. This averages out at valid rationale.’ the basis that they had undertaken proficiency and a certain academic
month, over 500 non-graduate just one teacher per centre, a very In reality, inspectors accept 95 ‘post-school learning’. capacity. However, teaching
teachers were working at UK small proportion, but the numbers per cent of rationales submitted The examples we found included contexts in UK ELT schools
language centres at the time are not evenly distributed. Overall, – only exceptionally do they turn a Level 4 certificate in hospitality, range from young learners to ESP.
of their last British Council just over 40 per cent of centres them down. Our research found a web design course and training There are also huge differences in
employ non-graduates, although only 24 rejected rationales out of undertaken while in the police content of the different degrees
the exact proportion of centres a total of 530. force. It is hard to understand what held by teachers, particularly native
varies by sector: 76 per cent of So, what kind of rationales any of these have to with language speakers.
summer school operators have are accepted? We analysed the teaching. So it seems strange that an
such teachers compared to only results of the 98 reports that The question remains: how far undergraduate degree is the
10 per cent of boarding schools detail the grounds for accepting from being a Level 6 graduate do benchmark for accreditation of
and universities. The accreditation rationales. Those working you actually have to be to fail to teacher qualifications.
handbook states: ‘All academic towards a qualification of Level get your rationale accepted? We believe, instead, ‘teachers,
6 or higher formed the biggest The answer comes in this should have, or be working towards,
group. These included seventeen extract from an inspection report. a Level 6 or higher qualification in
teachers currently studying for ‘The rationales for the more recent an ELT-related field’. This phrase
an undergraduate degree and employment of two teachers encapsulates the importance
nineteen teachers enrolled on a without Level 6 qualifications of an active engagement with
% Level 7 Diploma course in EFL. were not accepted, as there was no professional development.
As Nile’s Thom Kiddle so evidence of any relevant academic This change would accomplish
eloquently argues on these pages training before employment and two things. Firstly, it would give
% %
teachers and schools the incentive
% (opposite), these are probably the no plans to help these teachers term professional development A work in progress
%
kind of teachers the profession improve their academic profiles.’ to commit to medium- and longer-
programmes, ideally focused in the
language education field. It would The British Council should accept teachers studying at degree
also do away with the idea that ‘if
it’s not going to be completed before level as equivalent to graduates for accreditation purposes,
an inspection, it’s not worth doing’.
Secondly, it would encourage says Thom Kiddle
the professionalisation of the UK
ELT industry, identifying career allowing teachers to reflect on, use, level initial qualification. Screening teachers or directors of studies
development opportunities and and develop their experience from for entry is vital and that two-year within the institution to gain
raising the quality of teaching and the teaching they have done. minimum level of experience is an experience and career development
learning in our sector. Beginning with Module 1 of the absolute must’ Bolitho says. by being trained, standardised
The British Council reports show Delta, for example, would meet the Are online courses the answer? and supported in evaluating their
that many non-graduate teachers reworded criteria above, and allow We feel that the game-changer has colleagues.
have teaching experience abroad teachers to assess whether they been the development of online There are multiple advantages
but often no Tefl certificate. I have the sufficient methodological diplomas. Serious, professional for the profession in this approach.
believe such teachers should do a underpinning, and theoretical online teacher education now It demonstrates commitment from
Delta straight away and not begin understanding of learning and allows for continuing professional accredited schools to supporting
with a Celta. teaching principles, to move onto development in the workplace, the CPD of teachers and it’s a far
Celta was developed as a pre- subsequent modules. Or they may particularly for teachers who better way to meet the criteria for
service qualification and we fully find they need further peer-or work at institutions which don’t teacher education than searching
support its use in this context. We institution-supported development themselves offer diploma or MA- for ‘creative’ rationales.
even run Celta courses ourselves, to take this step. level teacher qualifications. We believe that including
and have an academic and teaching As Rod Bolitho, chair of the What about classroom teachers working towards a
team with many members who NILE Advisory Board, noted in the observation? The structure of qualification is a more meaningful
started out with a Celta. But there past, a diploma-level qualification Delta Module 2, and particularly way to assess
are many areas within it which are such as Delta ‘demands a great deal the way we offer it, involves a local teacher ‘Screening for
not wholly relevant to a teacher of high-level academic writing and tutor conducting the classroom qualifications,
with significant experience in ELT. critical thinking’. observation, feedback and which can entry is vital and
Two of the key features of diploma I led courses in both diploma and mentoring, supported by an online also help that two-year
programmes, such as the Delta, masters for many years and non- tutor from NILE. institutions minimum level of
are that they are a) modular – graduate teachers almost always The local tutor, often from within develop their experience is an
allowing people to manage their need a higher level of tutorial the students’ own institution, plays professional absolute must’
own pathway in terms of time and support than participants with a a crucial role. This system enables development
where to begin, and b) flexible – first degree, and/or a certificate- fully Tefl-qualified (TEFLQ) capacity.
editorial@elgazette.com 13