Closed petition Allow Higher Level Teaching Assistants fast track access to teacher training.

Closed on 27 April 2016

I'm an experienced Higher Level TA and have been teaching full classes for years. I plan curriculum, deliver full lessons and monitor progress of children in their learning. BUT as I have no degree I can't train to be a teacher in less than 4 years.
A person with ANY degree can train in just 1 year

I believe degrees don't give a person a better knowledge of teaching. I believe that Teaching Assistants are much better placed to take on a year of teacher training and that they don't need a degree to do so.
In a country with fewer teachers we are ignoring the crop of highly passionate, brilliant HLTAs that would make highly skilled teachers. Most cannot afford the time and money to spend on an unrelated degree.
It's wrong that a degree defines a person's ability to teach.