I read this with absolute horror. As a retired teacher who entered the profession in 1980, I went through the conventional teacher training programme of the time, which was divided between Northern College of Education and the University of Dundee, at which latter institution I studied for a B.Ed covering studies in education, sociology and psychology, courses which I found enlightening and fascinating. We were taught about child development and the various stages and milestones, and I find it astonishing that this is no longer part of ITE. How can you possibly hope to teach primary age pupils, in particular, if you have no idea how they should be developing, and what they should be capable of understanding? But, as appears from the article, knowledge and understanding appear to have taken a very secondary place to identity politics and climate considerations. This makes it very understandable why a primary school in Edinburgh appointed' LGBTQ+ champions' from among he pupils, charged with asking their classmates if they are happy in their gender identity. This was another story which I read with horror. What on earth has this country come to? How can an eminent expert like Dr Hilary Cass simply be denied because her report does not fit with the extremist views of activists? And has no-one read Hannah Barnes's Time to Think, which is a probing investigation into the origins (laudable and measured) of the Gender Identity Development Unit (later Service, hence GIDS) and perverted development by gender-affirming leaders into the mass-indoctrination service it became until someone finally woke up to the reality? The Scottish 'Government' in its determination to eliminate the concept of woman as adult human female has failed half the population of the country, but this and other quite frankly frightening articles show the extent to which the children of this country are being failed, and failed, and failed now and in the future.
Thank you for reminding me/us of the rigorous standards teacher training used to be held to. This young generation is graduating w/little understanding of the world and then no alternative being offered in ‘places of learning’. I loved school. I had teachers I loved and teachers I didn’t which was irrelevant in a way b/c there was a standard to aspire to and that has served me my life. Have you seen the documentary done by Benjamin Boyce on the Evergreen trials? That is where we are all headed if we don’t shift things soon. It is a tragedy that will devastate a generation & society for decades if not longer.
No, I haven't heard of Benjamin Boyce or Evergreen. That is something I shall have to look up. But your article has shown me that I need to do far more investigation of ITE, as I had no idea how much it had changed. I have a recently-retired colleague who could perhaps enlighten me on what the curriculum is in her institution.
Oh Kate, you’ve expressed this perfectly and it should fill us all with horror and concern for our precious children. Is it possible that the majority of teachers are being coerced into following guidance that they don’t agree with - in the same way that doctors were coerced into complying with covid management measures that contravened informed consent and the fundamental principle of ‘do no harm’.
I read this with absolute horror. As a retired teacher who entered the profession in 1980, I went through the conventional teacher training programme of the time, which was divided between Northern College of Education and the University of Dundee, at which latter institution I studied for a B.Ed covering studies in education, sociology and psychology, courses which I found enlightening and fascinating. We were taught about child development and the various stages and milestones, and I find it astonishing that this is no longer part of ITE. How can you possibly hope to teach primary age pupils, in particular, if you have no idea how they should be developing, and what they should be capable of understanding? But, as appears from the article, knowledge and understanding appear to have taken a very secondary place to identity politics and climate considerations. This makes it very understandable why a primary school in Edinburgh appointed' LGBTQ+ champions' from among he pupils, charged with asking their classmates if they are happy in their gender identity. This was another story which I read with horror. What on earth has this country come to? How can an eminent expert like Dr Hilary Cass simply be denied because her report does not fit with the extremist views of activists? And has no-one read Hannah Barnes's Time to Think, which is a probing investigation into the origins (laudable and measured) of the Gender Identity Development Unit (later Service, hence GIDS) and perverted development by gender-affirming leaders into the mass-indoctrination service it became until someone finally woke up to the reality? The Scottish 'Government' in its determination to eliminate the concept of woman as adult human female has failed half the population of the country, but this and other quite frankly frightening articles show the extent to which the children of this country are being failed, and failed, and failed now and in the future.
Thank you for reminding me/us of the rigorous standards teacher training used to be held to. This young generation is graduating w/little understanding of the world and then no alternative being offered in ‘places of learning’. I loved school. I had teachers I loved and teachers I didn’t which was irrelevant in a way b/c there was a standard to aspire to and that has served me my life. Have you seen the documentary done by Benjamin Boyce on the Evergreen trials? That is where we are all headed if we don’t shift things soon. It is a tragedy that will devastate a generation & society for decades if not longer.
No, I haven't heard of Benjamin Boyce or Evergreen. That is something I shall have to look up. But your article has shown me that I need to do far more investigation of ITE, as I had no idea how much it had changed. I have a recently-retired colleague who could perhaps enlighten me on what the curriculum is in her institution.
Oh Kate, you’ve expressed this perfectly and it should fill us all with horror and concern for our precious children. Is it possible that the majority of teachers are being coerced into following guidance that they don’t agree with - in the same way that doctors were coerced into complying with covid management measures that contravened informed consent and the fundamental principle of ‘do no harm’.