IfL announces four patrons

Wednesday 30 March 2011

The Institute for Learning (IfL) is pleased to announce its first four patrons, who have pledged their support for the professional body for teachers and trainers in further education and skills. They are Baroness Sharp of Guildford, formerly a Liberal Democrat spokesperson for further and higher education; Barry Sheerman, member of parliament for Huddersfield and former chair of the education select committee;Lord Tim Boswell of Aynho, former member of the innovation, universities, science and skills select committee; and Stella Mbubaegbu CBE, principal and chief executive of Highbury College Portsmouth.

Baroness Sharp said, “I am very pleased to be a patron of the Institute for Learning. I share IfL’s concern to have proper recognition of the professional status of teachers and trainers in our further and adult education and skills sector. I am glad that my work with IfL on Qualified Teacher Learning and Skills (QTLS) status being recognised for teaching in schools influenced the Wolf report and the government’s immediate acceptance of this recommendation. I look forward to working with IfL as patron to further raise the status of teachers and trainers.”

Mr Sheerman said, “I am honoured to become a patron of IfL. I believe that teachers and trainers being expert and having passion for their subject or vocational area is necessary. Staying up-to-date every year with the subject or vocational specialism and teaching methods, through continuing professional development, is absolutely vital for the high-quality, professional teaching that every learner in further and adult education and skills deserves. Having professional body membership and professional status of QTLS or Associate Teacher Learning and Skills (ATLS) through IfL gives the nation assurance of teachers always aspiring to excellence.

“I care passionately about teachers and trainers getting the high recognition they deserve, and I am pleased to have worked with IfL and played my part in ensuring that FE teachers with QTLS will get the opportunity to teach in schools settings. This is right. The case has been made and won that 14 to 19-year-olds being taught by highly qualified staff from the FE sector in schools is a universally good development.”

Lord Boswell said, “I am delighted to be a patron of IfL. Professional standards in further and adult education and skills are extremely important for matching up teachers’ and trainers’ invaluable role to raising skill levels for young people and adults. I believe that IfL, as the teachers’ professional body, has a strong commitment to educational improvement and national competitiveness.”

Mrs Mbubaegbu said, “I am deeply honoured to be a patron of IfL. I really welcome IfL’s role in professionalisation for all teachers in further education. Teachers in our colleges have a whole range of different vocational backgrounds, for example, in construction, engineering and health. From the start, they want to be excellent teachers, and IfL has a vital role to support them.”

Sue Crowley, IfL’s elected chair, said, “We are extremely pleased that four leading lights in the world of further and adult education and skills have agreed to support IfL and our quest to elevate the status of teachers and trainers throughout our diverse sector. Their association will help raise awareness of the important work that IfL is doing with our membership to influence policymaking, support continuing professional development (CPD) and facilitate communities of practice, for the benefit of teachers and trainers, and their learners.

“We hope that their valuable patronage will be complemented in the near future by people with leading national expertise in teaching and learning accepting our invitation to become patrons too.”